Missing Daddy
by PenName76
Summary: Renesmee wakes up to find Edward missing.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic. Be gentle.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**

"Thanks Seth

"Thanks Seth. I really appreciate you bringing her back home," I said as I took my sleeping daughter from his arms.

"No problem. Jake would have done it, but he wasn't…feeling well so I offered." As Seth explained, he placed her pink Disney backpack just inside the door.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay? They're all in the living room watching the game."

"Actually, we're all watching it together back in La Push. Next time."

"Next time for sure." I smiled as Seth waved goodbye and bounded back down the stairs to his car. I shut the door and walked into the living room. It was game day and all the Cullens and Charlie were camped out in front of the flat screen. Edward was the only one missing. He was off running an errand in Seattle and would be back in a few hours.

Even though Charlie was still a little freaked out about the oddity of my new life and all of its secrets, he did not pass up an opportunity to spend time with me. Especially if "spending time" with me meant making the sacrifice of watching the playoffs on the massive TV in a state of the art recliner with lumbar support. It was a fairly new addition to the house that Edward brought home one day. I knew it was his way of trying to make Charlie feel more comfortable and possibly score some brownie points. Although, Charlie had been more accepting of Edward lately especially since Edward was the father of his only grandchild.

Charlie, however, had also struck up an unlikely friendship with Emmett. Charlie was a man of few words, but those few words he did speak were almost always about sports. Emmett was just the partner in crime that Charlie needed. No matter what the topic was, they would always find a way to bring it back to sports. Emmett was sitting in a recliner identical to Charlie's. As soon as he saw it, he had to have the same one. Typical boys. Jasper was taking bets on the outcome of the game. Of course, Alice, who was sprawled out on the floor with a magazine, had tipped the odds in his favor considerably. Rosalie was filing her nails on another sofa next to Esme. Carlisle had just run up to his study for a moment to make a phone call to the hospital to check up on one of his patients.

As soon as I walked into the room, everyone's eyes shot up to look at Nessie. She wasn't a year old yet, but looked about three and a half.

"Finally, she's back! He's been hogging her." Rosalie jumped up and kissed Nessie's cheek. Nessie was so used to the coldness of our touch that she didn't even stir.

Esme was also up out of her seat and gently stroked Nessie's forehead. She adored her granddaughter and Nessie adored her right back. It made me a little sad that Nessie would only get to know one of her grandmothers. Renee would have loved her. On one occasion, I even caught Edward showing Nessie a faded picture of his own mother, Elizabeth. I know it bothered him that Nessie would never meet his parents, but if my blessings taught me anything, Edward and Elizabeth Masen were indeed aware of their granddaughter's existence. I knew they watched over her. Over all of us.

"Was that Seth I heard?" asked Charlie. "He should have come in."

"He said they were all watching down at La Push and wanted to get back before it started. Listen, I'm just going to put her down upstairs in Edward's old room. I'll be right back."

"Bye Nessie!" Emmett boomed. Rosalie glared at him.

"Oh c'mon. That kid won't wake up. She sleeps like the dead." Jasper joked as he tallied up the bets.

"The half dead!" Emmett chuckled. Now we were all glaring at him. Luckily, Charlie seemed oblivious.

I just shook my head at him and made my way up the stairs. When I got to the second floor, Carlisle was about to make his way downstairs.

"Ah, my darling granddaughter has returned," he whispered. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. If I thought Carlisle was radiant before, post-Nessie Carlisle could outshine the sun. It was almost as if he had waited over three hundred years to fulfill the role of grandfather and his number was finally called. He relished every moment with her. He and Esme took her to the circus, pushed her on the swings and took her out for ice cream every Sunday. No child had ever been surrounded by so much love.

"I'm just going to bring her up. I'll see you downstairs." I whispered back.

"Okay. I'll see you downstairs and you can join me in being cheated out of my hard-earned money by Jasper and Alice." I laughed as he continued on his way.

I made my way to Edward's room and gently set Nessie down in the middle of the king-sized bed. After removing her shoes, I put a throw over her and her much-loved teddy bear, Fergus, next to her. I took a quick look around the room and had to laugh. Edward's room, once his austere bachelor haven, was now overtaken by stuffed animals, dolls, puzzles, books and a dollhouse that Esme had built. Our family filled the room with everything they could to entice Nessie to spend as much time there as possible.

I brushed her hair out of her face. She was truly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her flowing auburn curls and alabaster skin were nothing compared to the sweetness and gentleness of her soul. The goodness in her heart outshined her outward appearance no matter how breathtaking it was. The only thing I could compare it to was the goodness of Edward's heart. She had inherited many things from her father, but the light that radiated from inside was her most defining characteristic. _And it was all Edward._ Sometimes when he held her and took her on walks along the river teaching her about the world, my phantom heart stopped. It was almost too painful to watch the brilliance and unconditional love that poured off of them. I loved her because she was the very best part of Edward. I often wondered if Nessie was like Edward as a child. So bright and full of life unmarred by the ancient pain of immortality. Was she the link between the Edward of today and Edward during his human life?

I could not have asked for a better father for my child. He approached every moment he spent with her truly as though it was a gift from God. He committed himself to making every moment meaningful and important. He strived to make her feel that _she_ was important. He never turned her away when she had a question or wanted to share a secret with him. Or even when she wanted to play silly girlish games. He treasured every moment of fatherhood that had been thrust upon him. And Nessie was completely in awe of Edward. All I can say is that Jacob would have a lot to live up to as Nessie was definitely a daddy's girl.

I leaned down to kiss her and smelled cigarette smoke. I wish Billy would quit smoking already. The man was confined to a wheelchair because of diabetes. Did he want to add lung cancer to his problems as well? As I exited the room, I left the door slightly ajar. Even though I now had vampire hearing, I was still a hesitant, nervous new mother.

An hour later, Alice and Jasper were considerably richer and another game had started. Charlie, still ensconced in his recliner, was eating pizza. This truly was a testament to how much my new family loved me. Esme was letting Charlie eat pizza in her all-white living room. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

Finally, I heard the hesitant footsteps of my daughter making her way down the stairs. When she took her time, she didn't need anyone to help her make her way down. Had Edward been home, he would have scooped her up right away upon hearing her even put her hand on the banister. As soon as she hit the ground floor and entered the living room, the entire family greeted her.

"Nessie sweetheart! Come here," bellowed Charlie. Nessie rubbed the sleep from her eyes and walked over to Charlie. He lifted her up and embraced her in a hug.

"Hi Grampa."

"Did you have fun with Jacob?" Nessie nodded. She still had one foot in dreamland.

I got up and walked over to Nessie taking her hand.

"Come on, ducky. You must be hungry. Let's get you something to eat." She took my hand and we walked towards the kitchen. She looked around the room as if she was searching for something.

"Where's Daddy?"

"Daddy had to leave. He'll be back soon."

Once in the kitchen, she let go of my hand and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"What would you like?"

"Blood."

"Besides blood. You have to eat something else too. Remember, one vampire food and one human food."

"Peanut butter and jelly." Nessie yawned and walked over to the sliding glass door. She looked out seemingly searching again. Normally, she was always a bit out of it when she woke up from a nap, but there was something uneasy about her today. I finished assembling her sandwich and put it on the table.

"C'mon sweetie. Come and eat." She sat down and started eating absent-mindedly. I put some donated blood in a sippy cup for her. She chugged that down right away. What can I say? The girl loves her blood! When she finished everything, I refilled her cup and grabbed a bowl of goldfish crackers. We returned to the living room to join the family and I got her situated at the coffee table with a coloring book and crayons. She was an advanced, gifted child, but coloring was very "zen" for her. She didn't touch the coloring book and after a few minutes, she walked over to the bay window searching once again.

"Hey Nessie, come sit down and I'll color with you," Alice offered.

"I don't want to color."

Rosalie walked over to the window and crouched down next to Nessie. "Sweetie, what are you looking for?"

"My daddy."

"He'll be back soon. Come sit down with us."

"No."

"But it's cold here by the window. Come on."

Nessie shook her head angrily. "NO! I'M WAITING FOR MY DADDY!"

"Nessie!" I was at the window in a second. "We do not yell at other people. Now apologize to Aunt Rose."

Nessie burst into tears, "SORRY!" She turned away from us and ran to the other bay window.

Emmett chuckled. "Temper, temper, Ness! Well, it's official. She's definitely Edward's daughter." Jasper, Charlie and Carlisle laughed with him. The women in the room all scowled at them.

Nessie walked over to the coffee table and eyed Emmett. "I WANT MY DADDY!!" She grabbed the remote from the table and threw it on the ground with as much force as she could manage. It shattered into a hundred pieces. "I WANT MY DADDY NOW!" Emmett just sat there with his mouth open and eyes wide.

"I never noticed it before, but she does take after Renee." Charlie blurted out.

"That's it! Enough! You are misbehaving and being rude. We're going home NOW." I scooped her up and started to make my way to the front door. She struggled in my arms and let out a blood curdling scream while her tears gushed. "You will come back later when you stop this nonsense and apologize to everyone." She had NEVER behaved like this before. I had no idea what had come over her. Sure, she was attached to Edward. He was her father, but he went out all the time without it being a problem. She had no reason to act up now.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! DADDY!!"

A second later, Esme was dialing the phone. "It went straight to voicemail. Edward must be in a bad cell area."

As I was making my way out of the room, Nessie grabbed on to the doorway. The vampire in her took over and it stopped me dead in my tracks. The power of her grip dug right into the wall.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!! I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME! I DON'T WANT YOU! I WANT DADDY!"

Rosalie looked at me questioningly. "I have no idea what is going on."

By this point, Nessie's face was fire engine red and she was choking on her tears. She could barely breathe. I sank to the floor with her in my arms and tried to calm her.

"Renesmee…honey…Daddy just went out for a little while. He is coming back soon. There is no need to be upset. You know Daddy goes out all the time."

It was never more obvious to me that I was a bad mother because my attempts to calm her just set off another round of screams and crying fits. I was of absolutely no comfort to my own child. So utterly helpless.

"Jasper, a little help please!"

"Oh believe me, I'm trying! She's scared to death!"

"Really? Ya think?!" Rosalie snapped.

Carlisle whispered to Esme to keep trying Edward. He walked over to Nessie and kneeled down next to her. "Sweetheart…" That was when she started thrashing on the ground.

At that moment, the front door burst open and a frantic Edward ran in. "What's the matter? What happened? Is she hurt?"

"DADDY!" screamed Renesmee at the top of her lungs.

Edward, still panicked, took her into his arms just as she was reaching for him. She grabbed onto his neck and buried her face in his chest.

"Everything's okay, darling. Shhhhh. Bella, _what_ is going on?"

"Your guess is a good as mine. She woke up from her nap and was asking for you. When you weren't coming home, she started freaking out."

Nessie looked up at him with endless tears still running down her face. Her lips quivering as she spoke. "Daddy, I promise I won't be a bad girl! I promise I won't be not good for you! Don't go away! Please! Don't leave me!"

"Sweetheart, Daddy's not going anywhere. Nothing could tear me away from you. I love you." Edward's calm voice seemed to soothe her. That didn't stop her from holding on to him with all of her might. He walked with her into the kitchen. I didn't follow figuring that I would give them some quiet time together. After all, she didn't seem to want me anywhere near her.

I returned to the living room and sat down on the couch next to Esme feeling utterly dejected. Everyone else was back into the game and they continued in their revelry. After a few minutes, I felt Esme put her hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her and was treated to her warm smile.

"Don't worry, it happens to everyone." I leaned into her and she embraced me. Then, Alice came up behind the couch and put her arms around both of us. She laughed quietly and said, "There's always a silver lining in every situation. After seeing Nessie carry on like that, I think Rose is officially over wanting children." Esme and I started laughing and even Rose cracked a smile.

"Bella, would you come in here a moment please," Edward called from the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and Edward had his back up against the kitchen sink with Nessie still in his arms. Her head was resting on his shoulder. She had stopped crying, but her face was entirely tear-soaked. Her hair was all frizzy and matted from her tantrum on the floor. He was gently stroking her curls. No matter how bad she looked, it was nothing compared to the look of anguish on Edward's face.

"What's the matter?" Edward turned to look at me. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were full of quiet rage.

"Nessie, sweetheart, show Mommy what you were just thinking about." I was by her side in a second and Nessie reached out to touch me. I was completely unprepared for what I saw. Nessie was sitting in the living room at Jake's house in La Push. The TV was turned to some sporting event. Nessie was sitting on one end of the couch by herself hugging a pillow tightly while Jake sat at the other end. There were several other pack members lounging around. Some were smoking and all had a beer in hand. By some of their demeanors, it was obvious that this was not the first beer of the day. In fact, there were five empty beer bottles sitting in front of Jake alone.

"Dude, this whole thing really worked out for you, Jake," said Quil.

"You must be so frickin' happy to be rid of Bella, man," added Paul.

Jake chuckled to himself. "A few more years and I've got the perfect girl here. She'll never get old. She'll never get fat. She'll have a body like her mom. I'm set. I'll still have fucking Edward breathing down my neck though. Oh shit, you didn't hear that, right Nessie?" All of the boys were doubled over laughing. Nessie just looked frightened.

"Now that I have Nessie, I don't need to worry about Bella as much. She and Edward have each other. And you know what? Now when she wakes up one day and finds that Edward left her again, someone else can help her pick up the pieces. 'Bella, you're not good for me! I have to leave you!'And, mark my words, she WILL wake up one day and be all alone. Edward will get all angsty again and leave her. Nessie and I will be living here in La Push and who knows, maybe we one day we won't ever have to see the bloodsuckers again. Bella can find someone else to manipulate. Fuckin' leeches. " Jake chuckled to himself.

Quil raised his bottle, "Here's to motherfuckin' imprinting and motherfuckin' wolves! Less work for us!" Jake burped and the guys all laughed before raising their bottles in the air. Embry tried to get up, but stumbled over an ottoman. The pack erupted into laughter. At that moment, Seth walked in the door and shook his head. Nessie ran over to him and hugged his leg.

Seth picked her up and grabbed her backpack. "Don't worry sweetheart. I'm taking you home," Seth murmured.

"Sweet! I don't feel like moving from this couch." And with that, Jake shoveled a piece of pizza in his mouth.

And then the vision was over. Nessie dropped her hand and stared quietly at my face filled with rage.

"I cannot believe him. How could he…I…I…I just…I'm so mad!!"

"Bella, I think I hear a car coming and I'm pretty sure it's you know who."

I took several deep breaths. "Rose, I need you! Bring Emmett!"

**Okay, everyone. Please review. Creative criticism helps. If you like it, I'll continue.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:  I own nothing.  Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**

CHAPTER 2

BPOV

"Wait!" Edward called out. "Everyone should hear this so they understand what we're dealing with."

All three of us moved into the living room. Nessie had turned away from us all and buried her head in Edward's chest.

He whispered in her ear, "Sweetheart, I need you to show everyone what you just showed Mommy, okay? It's very important. Please?" Nessie slowly turned her face back to us and nodded. Edward adjusted her in his arms so she could reach out both arms at the same time. First to Rosalie and Emmett.

When it was over, Emmett shook his head in disbelief while looking at the ground. He looked up and said, "Whatever you need." Rosalie's nostrils were flaring. I had been grateful to Rosalie before when it came to Nessie, but now I really needed her help and I knew I could count on her. She would do anything to protect her niece. Especially from that sort of male entitlement.

Next came Carlisle and Jasper. As the vision unfolded, the outrage enveloped both of them. Carlisle was always a family man, but most importantly, now a grandfather who would do anything to protect his family. Protect this miracle that only God could have bestowed upon us. He looked to Jasper who already seemed to be plotting.

"Yeah, Jacob is close and he's feeling awfully pleased with himself. Rosalie and Esme should take Nessie to the third floor. The rest of us meet him outside. We need to move quickly."

"But what is going on?" asked Esme. Carlisle beckoned both her and Alice to see for themselves. Again, the vision was met with horror and the desperate need to protect.

"Rose, come on. Let's get her upstairs." Edward handed Nessie over to his mother.

"Wow, just when you think Jacob couldn't be more of an idiot, he proves you wrong," concluded Alice.

"No! No more Jacob!" Nessie cried out.

I stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead. "No, my love, no more Jacob. I promise. Now be a good girl for Grandma Esme and Aunt Rose. We'll see you in a little while." My mother and sister disappeared with my daughter up the stairs.

Edward wound his arm around my waist. "Well, I'm glad we're both on the same page."

"No more Jacob."

"Never again. Okay, let's head out. He's almost here."

As we all walked out the door, Jasper gave the directives. "Okay, Edward and Bella front and center. The rest of us flank them. We only attack if absolutely necessary."

Carlisle shook his head. "I pray this doesn't break the treaty. All out war is not our intention. But it may come to that."

"To hell with the treaty. Although, I don't think the elders ever thought of the possibility of the treaty being broken over child neglect and misogyny. To think, this guy has sisters and still acts like that." This is what I loved about Emmett. One minute he's all video games and wrestling and the next, he's the fierce protector of the family guarding our safety.

Once outside, we all took our places. I could hear Jake's car making its way down the driveway. He used to be my best friend. This bastard used to be my very best friend. What happened to his commitment to Nessie's happiness and safety? Could I have been so dumb to have once considered having Jake raise Nessie when the Volturi threatened us? Maybe I had just been blind to his true colors. Perhaps Edward had been right all along. Whatever it was, this was the end of our friendship. The man who I had once considered a part of the family was a complete stranger to me now.

I felt like the worst mother ever for putting my daughter in that situation. I didn't want to encourage their relationship, but I really didn't think I had any other choice. It was an imprint and they were linked beyond earthly bonds. Jake was no longer the noble suitor I had in mind for my daughter's happiness. Stupid Bella. How could you not have seen Jake for what he was? An overgrown manchild, chauvinist pig.

My thoughts were interrupted by Jake's car now snaking up the long driveway. Edward stiffened next to me and my own stance solidified. Jake parked the car and I could see by his expression that he knew something was up. Oh, something was up alright and he was definitely going down.

Jake slowly exited the car and walked over to where we were all standing. His fists shoved in the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. He stopped a few feet away wisely keeping his distance.

"So what's with the welcoming committee? More old vamps coming to visit?" He gave a nervous laugh. Nervous and yet he still managed to be smug. _Jackass._

After a moment, Edward spoke. "Jacob, I realize that Carlisle is the true head of the family and is the person involved negotiating with the Quileute tribe, but in this case, I must act on my own."

"With my full support, of course." Carlisle added.

Jake's eyes shifted from one to the other. "What's going on?"

"Jacob, from this moment on, you shall no longer have anything to do with Renesmee. Your relationship with her is officially terminated. We honor the treaty, but we no longer honor your imprint. Please walk away before this situation deteriorates any further."

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? SOMEBODY BETTER TELL ME NOW!"

"You want to know what the hell is going on? Seriously? Did you forget about my ability to read minds or my daughter's ability to share her experiences? And by the way, did you really think my daughter needed to experience you and your friends stumbling drunk? Fearing for her safety? You reek of alcohol and you still drove over here. I owe Seth my life for bringing her back safely."

"Nessie was totally fine. She wasn't crying or anything. She was completely fine. This is going to kill her."

"Actually, Jake, Nessie is quite fine with never seeing you again." The words quickly spilled from my mouth.

"Don't bullshit me, Bella! She was perfectly fine! She's safe with me!"

Edward snarled, "Don't you dare speak to my wife that way! Ever!"

I put my hand on Edwards' shoulder to calm him. "Jake, my daughter was screaming bloody murder for her father this afternoon after she heard you telling your idiot friends that he would leave her one day. Yeah, you're real responsible." He exhaled sharply through his nose while shaking his head.

"You people are un-fucking-believable!"

"No, Jacob, you're unbelievable!" Edward seethed. "She's just a little girl! A little girl who had to face off with the Volturi. Not many adults have had to do that! And lived to tell about it! HASN'T SHE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH?!?!?!"

"Oh, so now you're comparing me to the Volturi??? A bunch of butchers???"

"They brought upon her fear and terror. Today, you ruined my relationship with my daughter. You forever tainted it. You planted the seed of doubt in her mind that made her doubt me! You made Renesmee fear that her own father would leave her. You stole what little innocence she had left."

"I didn't do anything! You make it sound like I beat her and tortured her! She's my imprint! I care about her. I love her. I would not do anything to hurt her!"

"Therein lies the problem, Jacob. This is not real. It's a flawed imprint. Therefore, null and void. If this were a true imprint, then you would show my daughter respect. You would not make comments about how one day, she would grow into the woman you feel you deserve to do with her what you will. I waited ninety years for Bella and a chance at happiness. By some act of God, we were blessed with a child. My family is the most important thing to me ever. A family I never imagined I could have. I will not allow you to ruin it. I will never accept anything less than having Renesmee treated with respect, dignity and kindness. To think, there was actually a time I had believed you worthy of her. I was a fool."

"You've always been a fool, Edward." Emmett hissed and took a step towards Jake. Alice put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. "You never realized what you had and you took off. You nearly killed Bella. But that's the difference between you and me. I know what I have. And there is no way in hell that I would ever let you take her away from me!"

"I am her father. Bella is her mother. We will decide what is right for Renesmee. She may be a gifted child, but she still is a child. Although, she has made it perfectly clear that she wants absolutely nothing to do with you. So leave our land and never return. Should the tribe want to contact us, they may do so through Seth."

"What she wants or what you want, Edward? Where is she?" Is she with that blonde leech?" Jake started to walk back and forth trying to see into the windows. "NESSIE? Baby, where are you? I will start a war, Edward. So help me, I will start a war and finish it with your body parts piled up and torched!"

I stepped forward. "Jake, stop! Enough! You're not going to see her again, so get the hell off our land. Now."

" 'Our land'? It's yours now is it? You've totally and completely gone over to the dark side. Ya know, I thought that it was still you inside that fucking piece of rock, but he's completely changed you!"

Carlisle spoke up. "Jacob Black, you will leave our land now. You will never breathe the same air as my grandchild again. You will stay away from her. Forever. This is not part of the treaty open for negotiation. This is about the well-being of a member of our family."

"Doc, don't you mean your coven? You're not a family. You're just a bunch of lonely, pathetic bloodsuckers who like to play pretend. Bella is the only blood relative Nessie ever had." Jacob turned his head to look at me. "But you're not even that anymore, are you Bella? After all, you can't get blood from a stone. Nessie is half-human. She deserves a life. The kind you could never give her. Leave her with me so I can give her a normal life, a real life. Don't screw that up for her. She has a chance."

"A chance of life with you?" I interjected. "What might that life be? Running after her slob of a werewolf husband over in La Push? Cooking you dinner? Spending the day after one of your benders cleaning up beer bottles and overflowing ash trays while you ogle her and humiliate her in front of the rest of your pack?"

"We will have children and a real family. She will know what it means to live a normal life and live in the real world. Not some mythological game of Let's Pretend running off in the middle of the middle of the night living in shadows. You are all so fucking pathetic."

Emmett growled and started to step forward, but Jasper cautioned him against it.

Jacob started to walk back to his car. "I'll leave for now, but this isn't over, Edward. You can't keep her from me. I won't let you. If I have to torch every last one of you myself, I'll fucking do it you bastards!" He got into his car and slammed the door shut. The engine roared to life and Jake drove like a mad man back down the driveway.

Jasper, who had not said a word finally spoke up in a measured voice. "Everyone inside. We need to plan."

I looked over at my husband. "Edward, what are we going to do? He's going to come back. You know how he is. He won't ever stop. Does this mean we need to leave? What if he takes it out on Charlie?"

He looked at me without any emotion. "Let's get inside. We need to prepare."

**Thanks for reading.  If you liked it and want me to continue, please review.  As always, constructive criticism helpsis appreciated and so are reviews! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**

BPOV

The six of us quickly shuffled back into the house. Amazingly, Charlie had been in the bathroom the entire time. As he re-entered the living room, he looked at all of our somber faces.

"What's going on? I could have sworn I heard Jake. Edward, when did you get back?"

I looked at Edward who looked away. It was beyond awkward and no one was quite sure how to explain to Charlie. But then an idea popped into my head.

"Dad, why don't you have a seat..." His eyes darted back and forth between me and the rest of the family.

"Well…this can't be good. But after this past year, I don't think there's anything you could say that could shock me."

I quietly called out to Rosalie and Esme to bring Nessie down. Edward, who was now leaning against the back of one of the sofas, quickly looked up at me alarmed.

"It's fine. Believe me, it's better this way." I assured him. At least, I hoped it was. Rosalie and Esme walked into the room with Nessie nestled in her grandmother's arms. Nessie had seemed to have calmed down much more now. She reached her hand up to Esme's cheek and Esme nodded.

"Mhmm, just like we talked about." Esme placed her upright on the ground. Charlie looked on puzzled by their exchange. Nessie walked over to Emmett who was lying across the sofa without a care in the world. Nessie didn't look up and was wringing her hands in front of her.

"Uncle Emmett?" Her tiny voice was barely a whisper.

"Yes, Angel Face?"

"I'm sorry that I yelled at you and that I broke your remote control." I thought she was going to burst into tears at any second. He took her into his arms and hugged her to reassure her.

"It's okay. We're rich. We'll buy another one. Alice, let's get something on the books, shall we?"

"You bet! We'll pick one up tomorrow, Nessie." Alice walked over to her and ruffled her hair. "Oh these knots! We need to fix this right away!"

I spoke up, "But first, we need to speak to Charlie."

"Oh right." And with that, she sunk to the floor and sat Indian style. I sighed and looked back at Charlie.

"Dad, do you remember when Jake phased in front of you?"

"Bella, honey, that's not really something one forgets that easily."

"Right…well, part of Jake's werewolf…heritage…includes something called imprinting."

"Imprinting?"

"Yeah, it's…it's…I'm not quite sure how to explain."

Edward straightened up and decided to take over. "Charlie, imprinting is when a werewolf finds their perfect, true mate. Well, in our case, supposedly, their true mate."

"In 'our' case?"

"Yeah, Dad, our case. You see, this imprinting is so powerful, that the first time the werewolf sees the object of his imprinting, he instantly feels a connection kind of like love at first sight. Like soulmates, but something more. Something much more consuming."

"So you're saying that Jacob imprinted with you? Is that why he was so upset that you chose Edward?"

"Not exactly. There was a sort of connection between us, but it was an indirect connection. Jacob didn't imprint on me, he imprinted on Nessie."

"Nessie?!?!" Charlie straightened up right away. "But…but she's just a little girl. That's sick!"

"Right now, he just feels a connection to care for her and wants to keep her safe. It's pretty much a given that they would marry when Nessie is of age."

Charlie was on his feet when he heard that. "No, not gonna happen. She's not even a year old and he thinks he's going to have an arranged marriage with my granddaughter? No way!"

"Charlie, believe me when I say we're just as grossed out as you are." Added Rosalie.

Edward put his hand up. "Charlie, we're not allowing it. In fact, we consider it a flawed imprint. You see, the werewolf is considered somewhat of a protector of their imprint. While Jacob's behavior was at one time in line with keeping Nessie's best interests at heart, it has been rather harshly brought to our attention today that his intentions have changed. He no longer sees her as a precious gift that should be treated with the utmost care and respect, but rather a means to having his more basic needs met." Charlie was incredulous.

"Oh ya know, his laundry, his dinner, the vacuuming. Birth some baby wolves. Nessie has a heck of a future to look forward to." Emmett added with a smile.

"Emmett, please!" Esme gently scolded her son.

"But, Dad, Nessie herself no longer feels safe with Jake. In fact, based on her behavior earlier, she never wants to see Jake ever again."

"What made her change her mind? Those two are like two peas in a pod."

"Dad, that brings me to something else I wanted to tell you about." I looked at Edward for help, but Carlisle jumped in. He walked over to Charlie, put his hand on his shoulder and gently led Charlie back to the sofa.

"You see, Charlie, what Edward and Bella are trying to tell you is that our granddaughter is what can only be described as gifted. A gift that cannot really be described, but rather only fully understood when shown." Carlisle motioned to Nessie to come to him. She looked at me and at Edward for approval.

I nodded my head. "It's okay, sweetheart. Go to Grandpa Carlisle." She walked over to Carlisle. He knelt down so he was on her level and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Darling, it is time for Grandpa Charlie to see what you can do. He's ever so concerned about you and wants to keep you safe. Would you please show him what happened at La Push today?"

She nodded her head and reached for Carlisle to pick her up.

"Now, Charlie, Nessie is going to touch your face. Just wait a moment and you will understand everything." Charlie nodded. "Okay, Nessie, go ahead." She reached out to Charlie and began to replay her memory.

"What in the…???" Charlie jumped back and Nessie threw her arms around Carlisle's neck. I could smell the salt water of her tears.

Carlisle instantly began soothing Nessie. "Don't get upset. Everything is fine. Grandpa Charlie was just taken by surprise, that's all." Charlie took a minute to get his bearings before speaking to Nessie.

"Nessie, baby, I'm not upset with you. It's just all new to me. You threw me for a loop." He took Nessie from Carlisle's arms and looked over at me. "Why do I feel like this is only the tip of the iceberg as to what is really going on around here?"

Edward piped up, "Need to know, Charlie, remember."

"How could I forget? So, Jake is not only drinking underage, but expects my granddaughter to be his Stepford wife? Drinking, smoking and cursing up a storm in front of my baby girl. I've given that boy a lot of slack and sympathy over the past few years, but this is where I draw the line!" He walked over and handed my daughter to me. "That's it! I'm going down to La Push. I'm going to talk to Jake and to Billy. I'm just gonna stop home and get my gun first."

"NO! Dad, that is not going to help the situation."

"Well, Jake needs to know that I am not going to allow my family to be treated this way!"

"We've already started to deal with it. Believe me; bringing a gun down to La Push will only exacerbate things. He already threatened to kill Edward!" Nessie became alarmed in my arms once she heard that. Stupid Bella.

"Daddy!"

"I'm right here, Angel. Jacob won't hurt me."

"Why is he threatening Edward? He's the one acting like a bast…jerk!" This may in fact have been the first time my father was ever somewhat protective of Edward.

"When Jacob came by, Edward told Jake that we do not honor his imprint and that Jake is never to see Nessie again. We don't want him around and neither does Nessie. As you saw, she's scared to death of Jake. You know him so you can imagine just how ballistic he went when he heard this. That's when he threatened Edward. All of us really. He's dead set on starting some sort of war between the werewolves and the Cullens."

"Obviously, we knew he wouldn't take the news well, but he doesn't believe this is what Nessie wants. He thinks that I'm using today's incident as a personal vendetta against him." Edward added. "We cannot have you running off to La Push because we don't know what they are planning. I don't want you or any member of this family getting hurt and quite honestly, I'm not so sure that Jacob is capable of calming down. The pack has a code of honor when it comes to an imprint of a member. They will protect the imprint at all costs. And I don't think I have to remind you that Jacob is none too fond of me. He is setting the stage for an all-out war."

Jasper walked over to where we were all standing. "Charlie, we need to come up with a strategy to deal with Jake. If it were up to me, I'd insist we pack up the house and move across the country tonight." Charlie flinched. "However, none of us want to separate you from your family. And then there is always the possibility of Jacob coming after you. I know he is a family friend, but when it comes to coming between a wolf and his imprint, all bets are off."

Alice flitted over to Charlie and put her arm around him. "Charlie, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. None of us could. Please don't do anything that would jeopardize your safety. You're like a second father to me."

Charlie stood there turning something over and over in his mind. Finally, he looked up. "Where would you go?"

Edward answered him, "We have the means to go anywhere in the world."

"Now…I know we're on a need to know basis, but that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about exactly what has been going on with all of you and what you really are…about. I'm not even going to say what my thoughts on the matter are for the sake of keeping the peace and, well, my sanity, but I think that it may be time for Nessie to meet her Grandma Renee down in sunny Florida. Is that possible? I mean, that really is the _**last**_ place they would look, right?"

**Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. The next chapter will be the last. If you do favorite the story, please review it. Again, I appreciate all of your support and kind words of encouragement. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

_**Author's note: This was supposed to be the last chapter, but I had many complaints about that so I'm expanding this story just a bit. However, this will be the last chapter before Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.**_

BPOV

"Can I take Fergus with me?"

I looked at my daughter sitting on her bed watching me with sad eyes as I packed a suitcase for her.

"Of course you can."

"Can I take my books with me?"

I looked over at the overflowing bookshelves on the other side of her room. She had amassed quite a collection since she had started to read. I was a strong proponent of education, but Nessie's reading scared me. It was just another sign of her speeding climb towards maturation. It wouldn't be long before I lost my little girl. She was still child-like, but quickly becoming her own person. I feared losing our closeness. I started to feel like Charlie.

"Just take two. We can always buy some more at the airport for the flight." She nodded looking down at the floor.

I was busy looking at all the tags on her clothes making sure I packed the ones we had bought a few sizes bigger so she wouldn't run out of clothes. It was times like these that I silently thanked the universe for bringing Alice into my life.

"Is Grandpa Charlie coming with us?"

"Not yet. I'm sure he'll visit us soon."

"Are we leaving home forever?"

Home. Forks was the only home Nessie had ever known and she was being ripped away from it. Well, to be honest, her world consisted of the cottage, the mansion, Charlie's house, the forest, La Push and the occasional trip into Seattle. We had kept her hidden from the general population of Forks. She could not be allowed to be seen by anyone. She was so insulated. This trip to Florida would be quite a shock for her. And all thanks to Jake's idiocy. I would never forgive him for this.

"Well, not forever, but for a little while. But you're finally going to meet your Grandma Renee and Phil. Won't that be nice? She is just going to love you." I tried to be enthusiastic for her. Truth be told, I wasn't sure how Renee would react to the three of us showing up out of the blue. Well, I was still sure she would love Nessie though.

"But I have to pretend that I'm Daddy's niece, right?" I stopped packing and went to sit by Nessie. She hated the charade. She just wanted to be a family. Truth be told, I didn't want her to always have to pretend to be someone else either. I wanted her to be secure in herself.

"Only at first. We'll tell her the truth. Daddy and I just need some time to figure out how to break it to her. You see, Grandma Renee is not quite as strong emotionally as your Grandpa Charlie."

"What if she doesn't like me? What if Phil doesn't like me? Will they send us away?"

I reached over and pulled Nessie onto my lap. I hugged her to me and stroked her hair.

"Baby, Grandma Renee would never send you away. Even if you weren't her granddaughter, there's no way that she could spend five minutes with you and feel anything but love. You have no idea how special you are. You're like magic. Casting spells on everyone who meets you. They all fall in love with you."

"But I don't want people to fall in love with me in Florida. I want to stay in my own house and sleep in my own bed. I want to stay by Grandpa Charlie and go fishing. I don't want to be away from Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme. How can I go to bed if Uncle Jasper doesn't help me fall asleep? Who will buy my clothes if Aunt Alice isn't there? Who will put braids in my hair if Aunt Rose isn't there? Can I talk to Uncle Emmett everyday? I want to keep all of my books and my toys. I don't want to go to Florida anymore." The tears were rolling down her face once more. I slowly rocked her back and forth.

Edward had appeared in the doorway. He looked at us having heard Nessie. It killed him to have to put his daughter through this. It killed him even more that he couldn't just kill Jake. Well, he could, but it would be better if he didn't. He moved to her closet.

"I'll finish this."

"Are you all packed?"

"Yes, how about you?"

"Yes, my suitcase is by the back door."

"Okay, I'll grab it." He walked closer to us and knelt down by the side of the bed. He gently stroked Nessie's forehead. "My Nessie, I love you so much and I am so terribly sorry that we need to leave for awhile. But we will be back soon. We just need to wait until everyone calms down. But do you know what Aunt Alice told me?"

Nessie just shook her head and clung to me.

"Aunt Alice said that next week will be really cloudy in Orlando. Do you know what's in Orlando?"

"No."

"Well, it's something called The Magic Kingdom. And guess who lives there…"

"Who?"

Edward broke out into a smile. "Well, there's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and Goofy and I heard a rumor that sometimes, if little girls are very good, you can even see Snow White."

Nessie perked up and smiled in disbelief. "Snow White?" She LOVED Snow White because the princess lived not in a castle, but was hidden away in a cottage just like her. There were no dwarves living with us, but it was the closest she could relate to anyone.

"Snow White! And sometimes even Cinderella. And you know what else? Cinderella even has a castle there. A real castle!"

Nessie was just beside herself with excitement. I kissed the top of her forehead.

"See, Nessie, it won't be as bad as you think. There's so much fun to be had."

"And so many things to learn," Edward quickly added.

Nessie seemed to be appeased by this. Not happy, but accepting. Now the hard part. Saying goodbye to everyone.

We finished packing for Nessie, closed up the cottage and made our way to the mansion. Edward and Carlisle went to get some cash out of the vault. Alice had gotten us tickets to Jacksonville that night. We would fly down and rent a car. Then we would hole up at an airport hotel while trying to wait until evening. Then, we would make our way to Renee's. Everyone would stay behind and try to reason with the wolves. Hopefully, they would be able to work with Seth and Sam to calm down Jake.

Charlie was still there waiting for us. Even though I kept reminding myself that our leaving wasn't going to be forever (hopefully), it still pained me to no end to have to leave him. He and Nessie had developed a strong bond, possibly stronger than the one between us. I think he saw that being standoffish with me had not kept me safe. He tried to be a strong presence in Nessie's life and was rewarded with not only a loving granddaughter, but a good friend. She actually looked forward to going fishing with her Grandpa Charlie. Me? Not so much.

Edward and Carlisle returned with cash and ID's in hand. It was time. Emmett was outside loading the Mercedes with our suitcases. Jasper walked over to Nessie and knelt down so he was on her level.

"Well, sweet girl, if you need help falling sleep, I'm only a phone call away. I will miss you so much and don't forget that I love you." Nessie threw her arms around her uncle and held on tight. Next came Alice.

"Well, since I can't see the wolves, I had no time to buy you a going away gift. This good-bye is even sadder knowing I'm sending you away without any warm weather clothing. But don't worry, I'll get on that right away." She bent down and hugged her niece while giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you, Aunt Alice."

And that's when Alice lost it. Alice had no human memories and so never really had any longing for it. However, since Nessie was born, Alice had seemed to develop maternal feelings for her. She wondered what it would be like to share the love of a child with Jasper. It was a bit shocking to Alice as she had never once before this considered what it would be like to have children of her own. However, Nessie more than filled that void for her.

Alice then passed Nessie off to Rosalie. Rosalie picked her up and hugged her as tight as she could without hurting her.

"Oh, my sweet little angel! I will miss you more than words can say. We'll talk everyday, okay?" Rosalie was a second mother to Nessie and I couldn't even imagine having to be separated from my child. Emmett came back inside and put his arms around the two of them.

"I'll miss you, Uncle Emmett."

"I know you will. But you'll be back before you know it."

Rosalie set her down and she ran to Esme's outstretched arms.

"Don't worry, Nessie. You'll be back here with us in no time. Now you be a good girl and say hello to Renee for me. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"That's my girl."

Carlisle was close behind. He handed her a picture.

"Nessie, I miss will you so much. I promise you that everything will be worked out as quickly as possible so you don't even have time to miss us. But if you do, here's a picture of us all together. When you look at it, think of all the good times we are going to have in the future."

Nessie smiled up at her grandfather and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she turned to Charlie. She walked over to him and he picked her up hugging her tightly.

"Nessie, baby, we'll get this all straightened out so you can come home soon. The fish will all miss you…but I'll miss you more." His voice cracked on the last word.

"I love you, Grandpa."

He set her down and Edward and I said our own goodbyes to everyone. I knew this wasn't forever, but it sure felt like it.

Finally, we made out way to the Mercedes. Emmett would be dropping us off at the airport in Seattle. As we all settled in, I said a silent prayer for the protection of my family. I just hoped that we settled everything before Nessie grew too much. I would hate for the family to miss it all. I was sitting in the back with Nessie. Edward was in the passenger seat in front of me. He reached his hand behind and gave my own hand a gentle squeeze.

That's all it took for me to be reassured that as long as I had him, I could get through anything. We drove off into the night sad, but hopeful.

I also said a prayer that the wolves were not close by watching us leaving in the middle of the night. I just hoped God was listening.

_**Thank you so much for reading. Please take a moment to review. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks again for all your kind words of encouragement and support. It really means the world to me.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**DISCLAIMER: I won nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

_**I've received some comments about how Jake is OOC. After re-reading some of the books, I have to say, he is completely IN character to me. Sorry, I'm not a Jacob lover and I never will be.**_

ESME POV

"Is that everything?" asked Mr. Sinclair, purveyor of the only art supply store in Port Angeles.

As I looked over my purchases piled high on top of the counter by the register, it looked like I was going to be giving him some competition by opening my own store in Forks. I had just about bought Mr. Sinclair out of what seemed like all his canvases and paint.

"Hmmmm…"I pondered as I looked over a nearby display. I picked up a bottle of brush cleaner and added it to the pile. "Okay, now I think I'm done."

"Are you sure?" he joked.

"Probably not, but this will have to do for now."

"Mrs. Cullen, I'm so sorry that I am out of that cerulean blue you love so much. However, it should be in by Tuesday."

"Wonderful. That sounds perfect." It was perfect. That was the exact color I was going to paint Nessie's dress in a portrait I was just dying to begin. Some of us worked on cars, some of us shopped, but my way of dealing with stress was to paint. I missed my grand-daughter so much. Her face was constantly in my mind's eye and getting it out on the canvas was proving therapeutic.

Mr. Sinclair began ringing everything up.

"So talk of your son Edward's wedding made it all the way to Port Angeles. I hear it was the event of the season in Forks." He smirked. "Probably the _only_ event in Forks."

The memories came flooding back of one of the happiest days of my life. I know I shouldn't have favorites amongst my children, but…Edward. My Edward. He was my first son. I just couldn't help but feel a bit…more…for him. I loved Emmett and Jasper with all my heart and I would completely crumble to pieces if anything happened to either of them. Yet, Edward was my darling boy.

For so long, my husband and I worried sick over how alone he was. Carlisle had known Edward longer and often told me that while he was sad that Edward had never had a mate, that was just the way Edward was. Maybe Edward would one day find someone to have a deep connection with just like me and my husband, but for the time being (and possibly eternity) we would just have to accept the fact that Edward was a solitary figure.

Until, that is, one Isabella Swan came stumbling into our lives. She was perfect. More importantly, perfect for Edward. His happiness became our happiness. Finally, they became husband and wife in a wedding that had to be seen to be believed. Of course, it was tasteful and small. And beautiful. However, I think the reason why it was so unbelievable to people was because of the love radiating between my son and my new daughter who had at last come to take her rightful place in our family. How I missed them now.

"It was, and I'm not saying this because he's my son, but…indeed the most beautiful wedding in the history of the world. I don't think I'm overstating it at all!" I had to laugh at myself. I was always the proud mother.

"You'll have to bring in pictures the next time you come in."

"Oh I will!" I never got tired of showing off when it came to my children. I made a mental note to myself to do so on Tuesday when I came back for that blue paint.

"And now they're off at school?"

"Yes, Dartmouth actually. They are just doing so well and they are so happy together. That's really the important thing."

"Yes, healthy, happy and safe."

Safe. Yes, my hope for their safety had become my mind's constant companion. "Yes, safe."

Mr. Sinclair looked down at the register. "Okay, your total is $427 even." I handed him my card to complete the transaction and signed the receipt.

"Mrs. Cullen…"

"Please, call me Esme."

"Of course, Esme, let me help you carry all of this to your car." There were several full bags and some large canvases. I didn't need his help, but, as usual, I had to keep up appearances.

"Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you so much."

"It's my pleasure. You're such a good customer. It's the very least I can do."

We gathered up the bags and chattered on about the weather and his own children who were also in college. As we made our way to my Jaguar parked out front, we both stopped in our tracks. It was surrounded by wolves. Wolves in human form. There were five in total. Three leaning on the car and two lounging on the hood.

"Esme, would you like me to call someone?"

"No, no that's fine. They are actually family friends." I was so chipper that even I had a hard time believing what I was saying.

"Positive? It's no trouble."

"Really, it's fine." I tried to give him my most serene smile to convince him that the fragile Mrs. Cullen was perfectly at ease with the five towering youths treating her expensive luxury car like a junkyard sofa. I turned to the boys.

"Boys, what a surprise! How lovely to see all of you!"

Quil smirked at me. "If you say so."

Another boy who I didn't recognize leaned forward and looked me over as if I were a common prostitute.

I popped the trunk and we loaded everything in. I turned to Mr. Sinclair who was now glued to my side nervously eyeing the boys.

"Thank you again for all your help and I will see you on Tuesday." He smiled at me and then looked at the wolf boys once more.

"I look forward to it." He began walking away, but not before he turned around to check on me one last time.

Another one of the boys who I recognized as Embry spoke. "So Dartmouth huh? So that's where they went. We knew Nessie was smart, but doncha think it's a bit odd for someone who looks like they're about two taking college classes?"

The ungrateful Quil, who had at one time eaten me out of house and home, spoke again. "Yeah, sure Dartmouth. So, _Mrs. Cullen_, tell us where they _really_ went. It wasn't very nice of Edward and Bella to kidnap Jake's girl like that. Don't you think, Paul?"

Paul was running his fingers along the passenger side door. "Nope, not nice at all, but no one ever accused you bloodsuckers of having any manners. Lady, why don't you go back to your coven, oops I mean family, and tell them that the time for games is over. Edward and Bella better bring Nessie back to Jake. We're getting tired of waiting. She belongs in La Push with us."

"My grand-daughter belongs to no one. She is my family, not yours. Now get the hell away from my car."

They looked at each other and started to laugh. Embry then proceeded to bash in the driver's side window. "I wonder how many innocent people had to die so Mrs. Cullen could have her Jaguar. How does that work? Does that pathetic son of yours listen in and only kill rich people? Then let me guess, your husband steals their credit cards and goes and buys his pretty little wife whatever she wants. Is that how it works? Everything you own has somebody's blood on it."

"You disgusting pig." I responded through clenched teeth. I'm not a fighter, but if it came to that I would do my best. But, it was five against one. My phone began to ring.

"Looks like the husband is getting lonely and wants to know when the wife is coming home. You should answer it. I hear the replacement windows for Jaguars are expensive. But, hey, I guess it's no big deal to you. You just have to get on your back and you get any damn thing you want no matter who has to die for it."

The phone kept ringing, but I wasn't going to answer it until it was safe. Finally, Paul clapped his hands.

"Alright boys, let's get going. I think we've given the lovely Mrs. Cullen a lot to think about. And I do mean lovely. But still, not lovely enough that I would ever get so desperate that I had to resort to screwing a dead chick."

"See you later, Mrs. Cullen." After a few lingering glances and chuckles on their part, they all loaded into a beaten up gray SUV and sped away.

I took a moment to catch my breath and calm down before answering the phone. Carlisle was calling me. I hit the button.

"Hello?"

"Esme? Are you alright? Alice just saw your future disappear! And then you weren't answering the phone! I was just so worried." My poor husband was beyond worried; he was frantic.

"Yes, I'm fine now. Jacob's friends decided to say hello to me, but they're gone now."

"Did they try anything? Did they hurt you?"

"Oh they said some nasty things to make themselves seem tough, but they are still little boys trying to play with the big leagues. Rosalie has her work cut out for her. They smashed the window of my car."

"Those bastards!"

"Carlisle!"

"I'm sorry, darling, but that is the kindest thing I can say about those…creatures."

"Yes, well, let's not bring ourselves down to their level. I'm just glad they're gone."

"From now on, Emmett, Jasper or I will go with you anytime you leave the house."

"Darling, that's really not necessary."

"Of course it is. I will not let my family be intimidated. Now, I know you can take care of yourself, but for me, please allow this."

I couldn't deny him, my eternal love. "Anything for you. You know that."

"Now hurry home. I want to hear everything that happened."

"Yes dear, I'll see you in a few minutes. Goodbye." And with that, I ended the call. I opened the car door only to find that some of the glass had ripped the leather interior. I brushed off the glass with my hand, shut the door and started the car. I drove as fast as I could to try and escape the memory of what had just happened.

BELLA POV

It was Nessie's first time on a plane. We explained to her the whole process so she wouldn't get scared. We told her about the take off and landing and how there might be some bumpiness during the flight, but not to worry because Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let anything happen to her. She seemed excited, but there was so much going on that she also seemed overwhelmed.

In fact, for the first time in her life, Nessie complained of a stomach ache. Oh how I wished Jasper was with us so he could calm her. Again, my thoughts turned to Jake and how his stupid behavior had started this nonsense to begin with. I keep telling Edward that he has to control his anger, but I don't even want to think about what I would do to Jake at times like these when my little girl was suffering.

We were in first class as usual with the seats that opened up into beds. Nessie's seat was in between mine and Edward's. I had covered her with a blanket and read to her in hopes that she would fall asleep, but she just couldn't. Instead, she was curled up in Edward's lap listening to him sing to her in a quiet melodic voice. This seemed to be comforting to her. She was in a strange place on her way to a stranger one and this small act was the closest thing to the normalcy of our home in Forks.

About three hours into the flight, Nessie finally conked out. It was a night flight so the cabin was quiet and the lights had been dimmed.

"Finally," Edward whispered.

"Do you think she'll sleep through the night?"

"Maybe, but she's having some unsettling dreams about Jake coming after her."

I closed my eyes and exhaled. We had been through so much. Would it ever end? Would we ever get a moment's peace to have a chance to enjoy our daughter's childhood and just be a family?

"Don't worry love. She'll be fine. We all will. I think this time with Renee will be good for all of us."

"I hope so. Speaking of Renee, any idea of what we should tell her?"

"I think we should stick with the orphaned niece story for now. It's the most plausible. If we end up having an extended stay, we'll have to come up with something to explain her rapid growth. We'll call home when we land and see how things are progressing."

"Okay." I reached over and stroked his cheek. He leaned into my hand.

"Bella…"

"Yes?"

"Promise me you will relax. I know we can get this whole situation under control soon. We need to stay calm for Nessie."

"I know. I'm trying to let go of the anger and just look forward to seeing my mother."

"And Phil." He chuckled.

"How could I forget Phil?!?"

"I'm putting this out there right now, if he tries to get Nessie to wear a Jacksonville Suns' t-shirt, I cannot be responsible for my actions. This family will forever be a Chicago White Sox family."

"I don't disagree."

He smiled that lopsided smile. "I knew you wouldn't."

_**Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. I appreciate all of your comments and kind words. If you do favorite the story, please review it as well. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

_**I'm sorry for the delay, but I was quite sick over the holidays and am only feeling up to writing now. Happy New Year to all and may it be the best year for everyone.**_

BELLA POV

Edward pulled the rented Mercedes with the tinted windows up to the curb in front of the little yellow house with the white trim. Had I never met Edward and had such a vital reason to stay in Forks, I think I could have been happy moving into this house with my mother and Phil. It was quaint and homey. Just like a house that I had always imagined myself living in. There was a large oak tree in the front yard that provided much needed shade from the sweltering Florida sun. However, there would be no sun this week. Only overcast skies with the occasional chance of rain as promised by Alice. I took a deep breath and turned from the house to Edward.

"Bella, don't worry. It's going to be fine."

"I know." I tried to sound positive. The last thing I needed was for Nessie to hear any doubt in my voice. Auburn hair wasn't the only thing she inherited from her father. Like Edward, she was a constant worrier and often seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. I turned to smile at her strapped into her car seat behind us.

"Ready, sweetheart?"

She looked at me and then Edward. She took a deep breath and then nodded. Nessie had yet to master the famous Cullen acting ability. Even though I had only good things to say about my mother, Nessie somehow got it into her head that Renee was someone to be feared. Her cooking maybe, but never Renee. I'm not quite sure where she picked up this idea. Esme thought it might be the fact that up until this point, she had only known Charlie and the fact that Renee had divorced Charlie. She loved her grandfather and didn't understand why someone would leave him. Nessie also loved Forks and anyone who didn't love her home must be crazy. So, to her, Renee was obviously a woman who was mean to her grandfather and probably kicked puppies. Rosalie also floated the idea that maybe Nessie thought she might be betraying Charlie by liking Renee. We were about to find out.

Edward and I exited the car and Edward unstrapped Nessie. He took her by the hand and together we walked toward the house. When we were almost to the door, Edward paused and knelt down to Nessie's height.

"Now remember what we told you. Don't tell Renee that your full name is Renesmee. Just say your name is Nessie, okay?" Nessie nodded quickly. This was her first real experience playing a part. She didn't want to let us or the rest of the family down. Charlie had guessed from the beginning that Nessie was my biological child, but we would really have to be careful with Renee.

In all honesty, my nervousness rivaled Nessie's. This would be the first time that my mother would be seeing me since the wedding. More importantly, the first time seeing me since I had been transformed into an immortal vampire. Not quite a subject that could easily be glossed over, but I would try. We had told her that the disease that I had contracted in South America had ravaged me and that plastic surgery was necessary. Edward had always assured me that I didn't look that different, but every once in awhile, I would catch Charlie staring at me as if he didn't recognize me.

We finally reached the front door. I rang the doorbell and smiled at Nessie. After hearing some movement inside, the door opened. Leave it to my mother not to ask who is on the other side.

The door swung open and Renee quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"BELLA!!! Baby, is that you?!?!?!"

I smiled, "Hi, Mom!" She threw her arms around me and squeezed as hard as she could.

"Honey, you're freezing! We need to get you inside! I've missed you so much!" She pulled away to look at me. She had started to tear up. "Oh sweetie, you look so good! I'm so glad you're feeling better!" She turned to Edward and threw her arms around him.

"Edward, sweetheart! How are you? I'm so glad to see you! You look so good!"

"I'm wonderful. I'm married to the most amazing, beautiful woman in the world. She's healthy and thriving. I'm nothing less than perfect, Renee."

She swatted him. "Oh, stop it with the 'Renee' business! You're my son. Call me mom."

Renee didn't quite look old enough to have a married daughter…let alone a grandchild. She was tan and the sun had also lightened her hair. She was wearing skinny, dark-rinse jeans and a pink tank top with flip-flops. She was utterly glowing. Even though I knew she had been worried about me, I knew she was truly happy in her life with Phil. This gave me some comfort since I knew in a few years, I would have to separate myself from her forever. I'm glad I had this time with her no matter how short of a trip it was.

I looked over at Edward who had a silly grin on his face. It wasn't an act. He was genuinely happy to be here. Obviously, we would have chosen to be here under better circumstances, but being around Renee had always made him feel (or seem) oddly at ease. Renee had a huge heart and loved everyone. This was such a change for Edward because so many humans instinctually shied away from our kind. I had only experienced this for a few months, but Edward had been without such warmth and kindness for almost ninety years. It made him feel human to be accepted into my family like this. Don't get me wrong, he loved his own family, but to feel it from outside his close-knit unit was quite something else.

Renee's gaze then moved down to the little girl standing as close to her father as she could. Nessie looked at Renee with wide eyes.

"And who is this sweet little one?"

Renee did not quite get the response she expected as Nessie then threw up all over herself. Another first for Nessie.

A delayed cry pierced the air as she studied herself and her clothes now covered in vomit. She looked up at me.

"Mommy..."

Renee also looked at me with raised eyebrows, "Mommy?"

"Long story. I'll explain later."

I was just about to pick up Nessie when Renee beat me to it. She scooped her up and carried her into the house. "Honey, don't cry! It happens to everyone." Edward and I followed shutting the door behind us. Phil walked out of the kitchen and into the living room with a beer in hand. The TV was turned to ESPN. He looked at us with an incredulous smile.

"Bella? Edward? What are you doing here?"

"They came for a surprise visit! Isn't it wonderful?" Renee continued up the stairs to her bedroom. I followed while Edward stayed downstairs to talk to Phil.

Renee brought Nessie into the master bathroom and set her on her feet. Then, she began running the water in the tub.

"Okay, angel, we are going to get you all clean."

I took a small paper cup from the dispenser on the counter and filled it with water. I held it out to Nessie. "Sweetheart, come rinse out your mouth."

She did as she was told and spat out the residual vomit into the sink.

Renee tested the water and then turned to Nessie.

"Okay, the water is nice and warm. Let's get those clothes off of you so we can wash them." She proceeded to undress Nessie and handed me the clothes. "Rinse those off in the sink and then we'll throw them in the wash." I then did as I was told because powerful newborn vampire or not, this woman was still my mother.

Renee picked up Nessie and placed her in the tub. Then she rummaged through the linen closet pulling out a clean wash cloth and a new bar of soap. She knelt down next to the tub and picked up a plastic cup from the shower stand.

"Okay, close your eyes and lean your head back. I'm going to pour some water over your hair." Nessie knew the drill as this was how I washed her hair at home. Renee then grabbed the same strawberry scented shampoo that we both used and lathered up Nessie's hair.

"You know, I don't even know your name, my little mystery guest."

Nessie looked up at her grandmother apprehensively and answered in her high-pitched, sweet little girl voice, "Nessie."

"Nessie? Well, that's a pretty name." She turned to me and mouthed, "How can people be so cruel?" I just sighed. Maybe when she knew the truth…

Renee finished Nessie's bath and wrapped her in a towel. Then she dabbed her hair with another towel. She took Nessie by the hand and led her into the bedroom. She opened her closet door and pulled out a lavender tank top. "Come on, arms up."

Nessie lifted her arms and Renee slid the shirt on. It came down to her ankles and looked like a dress.

"Okay now sit on the bed while I brush out your hair." Nessie scrambled onto the bed while Renee gently unsnarled Nessie's curls. It was a mundane moment. Yet, it was quite surreal at the same time. Never in my life had I ever imagined a moment like this. I never thought I would have children. And when the notion of immortality entered my world, I knew that children would never be possible after that, but it never bothered me. However, in this moment, sitting in this small bedroom in Florida with my mother brushing my daughter's hair, I was struck by the idea of just how lucky I was.

"Such pretty hair." Renee looked at me with questioning eyes. "Okay, all done. It will air dry quickly in this humidity. Nessie, sweetheart, why don't you go downstairs and introduce yourself to my husband, Phil? Ask him for a nice big glass of water."

"Yes, that's a good idea. I'm sure Phil and Daddy are watching a baseball game." She left the room and I watched her as she went.

"Okay Bella, explain to me why that little girl is calling you Mommy and is the spitting image of Edward. Did he have a child from a previous relationship that you never told me about? Is that where he went when he disappeared? To spend time with his daughter in Los Angeles?" Her voice reached a high register by the time she finished all her questions.

"Mom, calm down. There's a very simple explanation to all of this."

"Well?"

"A few months ago, after the wedding and while I was…recovering…Edward was contacted by a social worker. Edward was an infant when he lost his parents and ended up in a foster home for a few years before Carlisle and Esme adopted him. Unbeknownst to Edward, he had an older brother that he never knew about because they were split up and sent to different foster homes. Apparently, his brother and wife were killed in a car accident and when social services looked into his brother's file, they realized that his brother had a living relative who might be able to adopt Nessie."

"I don't know if I'll ever get over that name. Too bad you didn't get her when she was young enough for you to change it."

She wouldn't let this name thing go. "Anyway, they contacted Edward about adopting her. She's his only living blood relative so he wasn't about to refuse her. So she's been with us ever since."

"Bella, I have to say she really is the most beautiful child I have ever seen."

"She really is."

"But adopting a child at your age? And I don't know if it's healthy for her to start calling you and Edward Mommy and Daddy so soon after her parents were just killed."

"We talked to a child psychologist and they said it was fine. It gives her a sense of permanence."

"I know the Cullens have money, but still, it's not cheap to raise a child."

"Mom, between Edward's inheritance from his birth parents and the money from the Cullen family, well let's just say that money will never be an issue for at least the next few centuries."

"God willing."

"Yes, God willing. So…I have a daughter and you have a grand-daughter."

Renee laughed, "We may have to come up with another term of endearment. I don't know if I'm ready to be called Grandma."

"Esme loves it! In fact, she's absolutely won over the entire Cullen family and even Charlie is completely enamored of her. I'll never run out of babysitters! And most importantly, Edward and I already love her as our own. Mom, I really do."

She shook her head, "My baby has a baby…so how long are you staying? I need to make up the bed in the guest room."

"A few days if that's okay. I know we showed up unannounced and all."

"If that's okay? Of course, it's okay, you're my daughter! I've missed you so much. I just want to spend time with you. I feel like you're slipping away."

We made our way downstairs to find Phil tickling Nessie while she laughed in hysterics.

"So Phil, I see you've met our grand-daughter."

"Yes, and she's nothing but trouble already!" Nessie looked up at Renee and gave her a big smile.

"Well, Nessie, I see your stomach is settled. Why don't we walk down to the beach and get some ice cream?"

"Okay, Renee!"

"Sweetheart, you can call me Grandma. Now let's get going."

Phil shut off the TV and we all went out the front door. Edward had washed off Nessie's flip-flops and put them back on her. We'd never tell Alice they had at one time been covered in vomit.

Edward took my hand a kissed me on the cheek as we walked down the street. Nessie was holding both Renee and Phil's hands as they swung her as they walked. Nessie laughed like mad.

"See, I told you everything would be fine."

"I know. I feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world."

"I never dreamed we'd have a family like this and now-"

Edward was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. I could see by the display that it was Charlie calling.

"Charlie?"

"Edward, we've got problems. Big problems."

_**Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you do favorite it or add it to your story alert list, please review it. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**

**Thank you so much to those who sent kind wishes for a speedy recovery from being sick. Hopefully, I can update this soon, but it all depends on when inspiration strikes.**

**CHARLIE POV**

"Why? What happened, Charlie?" Edward blurted out at the other end of the line.

At that exact moment, Alice Cullen ran into the emergency room waiting area. She quickly walked out and put her hand out for my cell phone.

"Charlie, you should be resting! Not making cell phone calls! Hand it over!" She didn't really give me a chance to hand it over and basically ripped the sucker from my hands. Not a smart move on Alice's part as my one arm seemed broken and the other was badly bruised.

She then put the phone up to her ear. "Edward, I'll call you back."

"How did you know…"

"Charlie, you know can't use a cell phone in the hospital! Listen to me, I'm explaining breaking the rules to the chief of police." She shook her head and walked over to the nurse's station. With a huge grin, she held out her hand to a frizzy haired bleach blonde nurse who I recognized as Lucille Cleghorne. She was two years ahead of me at Forks High. She was Lucille Danvers then and also a frizzy brunette. Her hair might be different, but she still piled on the makeup like she did in school. Her husband, Ray, was one of the foremen at the nearby mill.

"Hi, I'm Alice Cullen and you are?"

Lucille tentatively took Alice's hand and shuddered a bit at her touch. Just like the rest of those Cullens, Alice was always freezing.

"Nurse Cleghorne."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Doctor Carlisle Cullen's daughter. Chief Charlie Swan was just brought in after being in a bad car accident which resulted in multiple injuries. He's just sitting in the waiting room suffering in silence." She leaned closer and whispered. "Now, you and I both know that the chief is a humble man and doesn't want a fuss made over him, but he really is injured badly and needs to be seen by a doctor. Is my father aware that he's here?"

Well, that just about did it. Lucille was not about to be bullied by some teenager. After a long minute, she responded to Alice coolly.

"Miss Cullen, there are several other patients ahead of him and we've already ascertained that his injuries are not life threatening. He'll have to wait." Lucille gestured in my direction and continued with her chilly response. "I cannot go and break the rules for those in a position of power. How would that be fair to the other patients? How would it look if word got around that Chief Swan was abusing his power." Geez Lucille, what the hell did I ever do to you in school?

Alice's eyes turned to slits and the smile disappeared.

"Abusing his power? The man has been waiting here for over an hour. How would it look if word got around that the beloved chief who has kept this town safe was ignored and left to die?"

"He has a broken arm and some other minor injuries. He's hardly at death's door."

"Nurse Cleghorne is it? Hmmm. Let me take this opportunity to abuse _my_ power. I am the daughter of Carlisle Cullen. _Dr_. Carlisle Cullen. Dr. Carlisle "_Chief of Surgery_" Cullen. Yes, that Dr. Cullen. And that man over there, Chief of Police Charles Swan, is horrifically injured and we have yet to catch the perpetrators who ran him off the road at eighty miles an hour landing him in a ditch with the front of his car embedded right into a tree. The rest of the police force is looking frantically for whoever did this to him because he is a person who matters here in Forks. EVERY person on the force has been called to duty to solve this because he is beloved by the citizens of this small town. Now I demand that he is seen immediately. Chief Swan is also one of my relatives and has been like a second father to me. So someone better page my father right away and apprise him of the situation down here in the ER! Dr. Cullen will not be pleased to learn that a member of his own family has been so cruelly and inhumanely treated by members of the hospital that he has devoted his life to! Again, Dr. Carlisle Cullen…"

Man, that Alice was enraged! Everyone was staring at her as she put Lucille in her place. To be honest, it felt awful good to be taken care of.

"Did I hear someone mention my name…several, several times?" As usual with the Cullens, Carlisle appeared out of nowhere. He gave Alice a disapproving look.

"Daddy," I've never heard Alice call Carlisle that before! She must really be desperate. "Charlie was run off the road tonight and landed in a ditch with his car ramming into a tree at eighty miles per hour. He's badly injured. I'm so worried. And Nurse Cleghorne here doesn't think the CHIEF OF POLICE deserves to be treated immediately."

Carlisle put his hand on Alice's shoulder. "Sweetheart, everything will be fine. I will take care of Charlie myself. Now go ahead and have a seat. Actually, call your mother and let her know what's happened. You can use the phone in my office."

Alice threw her arms around Carlisle. "Thank you Daddy!" She withdrew from her father and all but stuck her tongue out at Lucille as she disappeared down the hall.

Carlisle then leaned over the desk where Lucille was sitting. It was obvious that Lucille would have put a poster-sized picture of Carlisle on the ceiling of her bedroom if Ray would let her. She was breathless being so close to the handsome doctor.

"Lucille, I must apologize for my daughter's behavior. Chief Swan's daughter is married to my son and our families have become quite close. Alice is especially close to him."

I've heard the expression, "butter wouldn't melt" when describing particularly icy personalities and Lucille would definitely fit into that category. However, Carlisle's close proximity seemed to make Lucille melt right into the floor with steam rising from the cheap linoleum tiles. She giggled and swatted the air in front of her.

"Oh Dr. Cullen, she's a lovely girl! I can only hope that someone would be as considerate and caring if I were ever injured. You are so lucky to have such a compassionate daughter who cares about her elders!"

"Well, that's awfully kind and understanding of you. I'm going to check on Charlie Swan." He began to head in my direction.

"Okay, Dr. Cullen. I'll be right here if you need anything!" Lucille stared at the view of Carlisle walking away. I had heard that the nurses had always been "partial" to Carlisle, but had never seen it first hand. I bet they all throw darts at Esme's picture in the nurses' lounge.

"Hello Charlie."

"Hi Carlisle. Had a bit of an accident as you can see."

"Yes, can you walk?"

"Yeah, I've got a bit of a limp though."

"In that case, let me get you a wheelchair." He motioned to an orderly who brought one over right away. People jumped when Carlisle was around. That was one advantage of Bella marrying Edward.

I sat in the chair and Carlisle maneuvered me into a private room. A minute later, Alice silently slipped in. They really freaked me out sometimes.

Carlisle stopped the chair by the bed and motioned for me to sit on it. He then picked up a clipboard and started making notations.

"Okay, so you were run off the road?"

"By a group of the Quileute kids no less." Carlisle shook his head.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

I had hit my head when the car struck the tree, but the events leading up to it were quite clear…

_It was about 7:30PM and I had just wrapped up my shift. I had taken to working longer shifts since Bella, Edward and Nessie left town. I stopped by the middle of town to pick up a pizza and my intention was to go straight home to watch a game. As I was making my way down Rivers Road, I noticed that there was a gray SUV tailing my cruiser. It had been there since I made my way out of town. Now, I've always told Bella not to speed on this road because it's awfully winding, but I was uncomfortable with the closeness of the SUV and sped up just a bit. The next thing I knew, the SUV was riding right up alongside of my car head on into the lane of opposite traffic. _

"_What the hell?"_

_The driver rolled down his window and I recognized him and the guy in the passenger seat as some of the boys I had seen down in La Push. Paul and Quil, I think. I turned on my sirens right away, but they were not deterred._

"_Hey Charlie!" The driver was taunting me._

"_Pull over, young man!"_

"_I don't think so. We're halfway to the rez and we play by our rules in this territory. Hell, the whole thing is our territory!" The two of them laughed like crazy._

"_I said pull over!"_

"_We'll obey your laws when you start to obey ours. Where the fuck is Nessie? According to our laws, she is not allowed to be taken from Jake."_

_I picked up the radio and called into dispatch. "This is Chief Swan. I am on Rivers Road being tailed by two Native American males driving recklessly in a gray SUV license plate number—"_

_The SUV then bashed into the side of the cruiser. I was able to steer and keep my car under control. I slowed down and began turning my car around, but they did a quick U-turn and hit the gas as hard as they could. They rammed my cruiser from behind and my car was propelled over the side of the road. The cruiser barreled right into a tree. Even though I was wearing my seatbelt, my body still hit the side of the car by the door breaking my arm and I also hit my head. A small river of blood trickled down my forehead and I cried out in pain from my arm._

_The SUV disappeared and the next thing I knew there were sirens in the distance. Soon I was being loaded into an ambulance. In the distance, I could hear the cries of Alice Cullen who happened to be driving by at that exact moment. She followed the ambulance to the hospital and had been with me ever since._

At the end of my story, Carlisle took a deep breath. "When will it ever end? Why can't they just leave us all alone?"

"Well, dispatch sent some officers down to La Push, but I doubt they'll get any help from anyone there. They protect their own."

"We'll think of something. I cannot believe they've taken it this far."

"Let's do something fast because I can't imagine them getting Nessie into their group. My grand-daughter and the rest of the family can't live in fear like this."

"Let's get you X-rayed and then plot out our next move, shall we?"

After I was X-rayed and the bone in my arm was set, Alice took me home. She helped me to my bed and gave me some pain killers. I drifted off to sleep and awoke at 11AM the next morning.

When I woke up, Alice was standing over me with a great big smile on her face.

"Yay! You're awake! How are feeling this morning?" She was a chipper little thing. It was a bit unnerving as I was not used to having an audience first thing in the morning.

"Alice, have you been here all night?"

"Not exactly. I went home to change my clothes this morning and Esme came by in my absence."

"Esme's here?"

"And Rosalie. And Emmett. So come on downstairs and let's get you something to eat!"

She pulled back the covers in one swift motion. "Come on, everyone's been waiting for you to wake up!"

"Alice, I need to use the facilities first. I'll meet you downstairs"

When I got downstairs, I could smell fresh coffee brewing. "Esme walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron while Rosalie and Emmett were parked in front of the TV watching some sort of soap opera.

"Good morning Charlie! How are you feeling this morning?"

"Much better, Esme, thanks."

"We're sorry to intrude like this, but we really wanted to make sure you were taken care of and protected. You are family after all. Now have a seat and I'll have some breakfast ready for you in just a minute."

"Well, that's mighty kind of you."

Emmett motioned for me to sit in the lounger. "You're just in time to find out who is the father of Caprice's baby."

"Rosalie got you watching soap operas with her now?"

Rosalie snorted. "He wishes he had that excuse. I'm just killing time until _Top Gear_ comes on BBC America."

Alice exited the kitchen and started sniffing. She looked at Emmett and Rosalie who also turned away from the TV to sample the air.

Rosalie sighed. "Ugh. I hate the smell of wet dog in the morning." The doorbell rang and Alice answered it. It was Billy with a Quileute boy I had never seen before. Billy nodded at Alice and wheeled himself right in. The boy followed. Billy had been my friend my whole life, but with the look on his face, I hardly recognized him. It was as if he was radiating with some kind of new power. I almost envisioned him getting up out of that chair and walking by himself.

"Charlie! Glad to see you up and about. You remember Eric, don't you?"

"Eric? Little Eric who used to ride the bike with the training wheels?" It couldn't be him. He was towering over everyone else and had gained enormous amounts of muscle. He was just like all the other boys on the reservation now.

"Yes, that's him. He's grown. We've grown in numbers." And that he shot a look over at Emmett as if it was almost a warning. "Anyway, I heard you had an accident and wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Who told you I had an accident? I haven't told anyone yet."

"Well, you know, Forks is a small town. Doesn't take much."

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about who might have been driving the other car now would you?"

"Me? No. Haven't heard a thing. I just wanted to make sure my best friend was able to walk away."

"Well, I'm fine now."

"Have you told Bella yet? She must be an absolute mess. I know how she worries about you."

"No, I haven't spoken to Bella yet."

"That's right, she went out of town, didn't she?"

"She's not around, no." Was this really my "best" friend that I was talking to? There was something in his voice that replaced all the trust I had once had in him. It was something along the lines of entitlement.

"Well, where is she? Shouldn't she be here taking care of you?"

"She's fine where she is. I have people to take care of me."

He looked at the rest of those in the room and smirked. "People?"

"Yes, family."

"Interesting. So where did she go? I know how much you hate to be away from her and Nessie."

"They're just taking some time to be together as a family."

"I assume Edward is with them."

"Of course, the three of them are a family."

"Jake is family too you know. He's just as much a part of Nessie's life as Edward."

"Not exactly, Billy. Edward is Nessie's father and he's my son. Nessie is his blood so he's much more to Nessie than Jake is. You understand course."

"Of course, but Jake is still important to Nessie and Nessie is family to all of us. And she needs to be with family."

Emmett broke his silence. "You mean family like a cult is a family, right?"

"There is nothing cultish about a boy being with the girl he cares for."

Rosalie couldn't stand it anymore, "Yes, there's nothing more romantic or sick as a girl being forced against her will." She stood up. "Listen, Billy Black, you stay the hell away from my niece! Stop threatening my family!"

"This is between me and Charlie. No one invited you into this conversation. You know Charlie, none of us would even be in this mess if you had been a better father and paid attention to your daughter from the beginning."

"Excuse me? Just what in the hell do you think you are talking about?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Had you taken an interest in your daughter, she wouldn't have gotten involved with the Cullens at all. Think about it, she could be going to the University of Washington right now dating that Newton kid. How many life and death situations has she been in since she started dating Edward? Hmmm, to be fair though, you probably have no idea since you could barely pull yourself away from the playoffs. Now look at Bella, nineteen years old…married with a baby. Not the life you envisioned for her is it? But that's the Cullens for you. They'll suck the life right out of you."

"Get the hell out of my house! Consider our friendship officially over!"

I practically lunged at him, but Eric got in between us.

"Well, I guess that's goodbye then Charlie, but just pass along the message to Bella and Edward that this isn't over. They can run to the ends of the earth and back again trying to keep Nessie from Jake, but we'll find them. We have all the time in the world and as we all know, maybe all except you, so do they."

And with that, Eric wheeled Billy out the door. A lifetime of friendship ruined by his son's insane insistence that a little girl was his soulmate. I slumped back leaning against the back of the sofa. My heart was beating out of my chest. I know there are certain things that are beyond my understanding. I know I am standing in a world I no longer comprehend or even believe. A world that is not natural to me. Rather wholly unnatural. But that doesn't mean I won't use every means necessary to protect my daughter and grand-daughter. Even if it is the last thing I ever do. The very last.

_**Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you do favorite this story or add it to your alert list, please review. I would really appreciate it.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

**EDWARD POV**

Alice still had not called me back. Something was wrong. Something was, in fact, terribly wrong. I needed to speak to Alice, but I did not want Bella to hear and worry. My poor wife had been through enough already the last few years. I had made my peace with the fact that I had taken her life away and now I only looked toward the future with our daughter. I did not want to seem ungrateful for all of the amazing and wonderful things that had happened during my existence over the past few years. I had truly been blessed…maybe even redeemed in the eyes of God. Yet, I still could not understand why our happiness must always be tainted by Jacob Black.

I had grown to tolerate Jacob. Then I even grew to appreciate him when he kept Bella and later Nessie safe from the dangers of our world. At last, I had even become accepting of the fact that he would one day become an official member of our family when he and Nessie would inevitably be joined in holy matrimony. It was not what I wanted for my daughter. But…perhaps I had just been swept up in the Quileute legends because I had seen it so many times within their tribe. It was not always a happy ending…separating lovers when one half was blinded by the burning light of an attraction to another that was predetermined. By God? I would like to think that God could not be that cruel. Surely, God could not be that cruel to Nessie by wanting her to be joined to Jacob when he only saw her as a possession. His undying affection for Bella was transferred instantaneously to a newborn baby. Was it natural and predestined? I did not think so. Jacob Black's nature had never been that fickle before. Immature and childish, but he was always steadfast in his devotion to Bella.

This is why I thought there was a possibility that this "imprinting" was valid. Because of the intense and blunt force of it. I know better now though. I did not listen to my gut instinct telling me to take Nessie and Bella and run to the other side of the planet after said imprinting was revealed. It may be valid for some, but it was flawed when it came to Nessie. I would never allow anyone to treat my only child as anything less than the precious gift that she is.

My Nessie. It was not an easy road to bring her into the world and I am ashamed about my behavior up until realizing that I had been given a miracle. After Bella's traumatic delivery and my administration of the venom for her final transformation, my family had found me collapsed in a chair next to Bella's bed covered in her blood and breathing heavily. It was almost as if I was breathing for the both of us, almost willing her to breathe with me. Had I done everything correctly? Was she even alive? I needed to hear her breathe so that I could pretend it was just another night of her sleeping in my arms and she would wake up and all would be right with the world once more.

The family had been in and out of the room assuring me that Bella would be fine and that Nessie was fine. It was not that I did not care about her well-being, but I knew she would be fine. I did not have the same gut assurance that Bella would survive. Was she Sleeping Beauty who would awaken with a kiss beginning our happy ending or was I standing next to a funeral pyre waiting to be lit? Surely, anyone in my position could sympathize.

As I watched over her awaiting our fate, Alice slowly opened the door. Swaddled in her arms was my child. Heaven had allowed another one of their angels to descend to become a part of my life.

I had always seen Alice as my funny and sweet "kid" sister and confidante. But the glow on her face was nothing less than maternal. She had never looked more beautiful.

Alice grinned at me. "She's finally here! Can you believe it? And all this time we thought she was a boy. Oh Edward, this is going to be so much fun. You know I've never had the chance to shop for a little girl before and I was just on the Bonpoint website. So adorable! And Esme said I could help decorate her room! I'm thinking a whole Madeline in Paris theme."

I smiled at her. "Are you sure you don't remember your past? You seem awfully at ease with a baby in your arms. It seems you are a natural."

"I'm good at everything, but you already knew that." A smug smile crept across her face.

"How could I forget? How did you even get her away from Rosalie?"

"She and Jacob are having a discussion."

"A discussion? I don't believe it. What could they possibly be talking about?"

Alice looked down at my baby and started adjusting the pink cashmere blanket. "Oh never you mind. Anyway, the reason I came up is that someone wanted to see their daddy."

"Did she now? She said that? Did she have any thoughts on world affairs?"

"Do not mock me, Edward Cullen. I think you'll see this little one has many, many things to say."

I raised my eyebrow.

"You'll see. Now come on…make a cradle with your arms. It's time you and your daughter started bonding. You're a daddy now. I never thought I'd see the day. Heck, I never thought I'd even see this possibility of a vampire having a child. Anyway, don't worry about anything. I went on Amazon and bought a slew of books on parenting for you. Ya know, father and daughter relationships. Caring and feeding of a baby. I think they'll be good for all of us."

Finally, she passed my sweet little one to my waiting arms. My daughter looked up at me with wide eyes as though she was taking me all in.

"We have a baby in the house. Can you believe it?" Alice said in wonder.

"You have no idea how many things about this situation I cannot believe." She quickly left the room.

I looked back down at Renesmee. Bella's beautiful eyes copied on to her face were the main focal point, but as I took every one of her features in, I saw my own connection to her. The shape of her face and her lips were just like mine. The most startling feature though was the wispy, bronzey, auburn curls. She really was my flesh and blood. My humanity had been passed along to her. She was a part of me and I would protect her with everything I had. If anyone dared hurt her, I would raise high holy hell the likes of which have never been seen.

Alice. I needed to talk to Alice.

Bella and Renee were sitting on the porch swing with Nessie nestled in between them. Nessie was watching the conversation volley between her mother and grandmother. Bella was so happy to see Renee and tell her about the honeymoon and all of the funny things that Nessie does. Although troubled, my heart was soaring seeing my wife so happy.

I had been playing basketball with Phil in the driveway nearby. Finally, Phil beat me (or so he thought) and decided to go inside for a drink. I stood against the post by the front walkway.

Renee looked up at me and smiled. "Sweetheart, do you want anything to drink?"

"No, Mom, I'm fine. Actually, I think I'll take a short walk."

"Okay, well just be careful. This is a safe neighborhood, but it's late you and don't really know your way around."

"I'll be on my guard." I turned to walk away and Bella called out to me.

"Edward, don't take too long. It's almost time for the little miss to go to bed and she prefers your singing to mine."

"Mommy is not a good singer." Nessie told her grandmother who burst out laughing. She drew Nessie into her arms and kissed her. Yes, I would slay dragons for my girls.

Once I was out of sight and out of Bella's earshot, I pulled out my phone and flipped it open. I quickly dialed Alice's number. She answered on the first ring.

"Edward, everything is fine. Well, not fine, but better than when Charlie tried calling you before."

"What happened?"

Alice explained what had happened with Charlie getting run off the road and his injuries.

"Alice, they could not have been going eighty miles an hour. Charlie would be dead if he hit the tree with such force."

"So? It doesn't make this any less serious."

"No, I am not trying to diminish what happened to him. So what do we do now?"

"I don't know. With not being able to see the wolves, I'm at a loss. Here, Charlie wants to talk to you."

"You're at Charlie's house?"

"No, Esme and I insisted that he stay with us for awhile. We don't want him going home to an empty house. Emmett thinks they're having a sleepover."

"You could always watch over him from the outside, but this is better I think."

"Okay, here he is."

"Charlie?"

"Edward? How's everything? How's Bella? How's Nessie?"

"They are both perfectly fine. Renee has been great and accepted Nessie with open arms. She accepted the niece scenario. Nessie has really taken to Renee."

"Oh? And Phil?"

"Don't worry, she knows who her real grandfather is. In fact, she told me she had a pleasant dream about you last night. You two had gone fishing."

"Hopefully, this will all be over soon and we can do that. Listen, don't tell Bella anything. I don't want her to worry."

"Charlie, I don't want her to worry either, but how can we keep this from her for very long?"

"I know. I don't like lying to her."

"I'll do it if you feel that is best. I don't like it, but I'll do what you want."

"Well, let her enjoy her time with her mother for a few days and until we come up with a plan. Then you can tell her. This must come to a swift end."

"Charlie, I couldn't agree with you more."

"So what are you all up to?"

"Well tomorrow, we're all going to Walt Disney World. I wish you were here to see it with her. When we get back, why don't we all take a trip to California and take her to see Disneyland?"

"Ya know, Edward, I've been doing some thinking. You're not what I had in mind, well, at first anyway, but I think…well, I think…gosh…"

"What are you trying to say, Charlie?"

"What I'm trying to say is that I think that you are a good son."

Some say the only people who believe in miracles are those who have seen them firsthand. I can say wholeheartedly that I believe.

_**Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. If you do add me as an alert or a favorite, I ask that you please review it as well. It all helps.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**

**BELLA POV**

We were "up" early. We had to be if we wanted to make it to Walt Disney World before most of the crowds. According to Mapquest, it would take 2 hours and 15 minutes to get there from Jacksonville. Since Edward would be driving, we could shave off _maybe_ a half hour. Since Renee would be in the car with us, Edward couldn't drive as fast as he normally would. Otherwise, we could make it in an hour. Phil was getting on a plane today for an away game in Ohio. After a few minutes of goodbyes, Edward, Renee, Nessie and I hopped into the car and hit the highway.

Nessie was just beside herself with excitement. In Florida, it seemed as though the Disney company ran commercials for the park non-stop. Every time a commercial came on TV, she just about squealed and everyday asked if that day would be the day we would be going to see Mickey Mouse.

On the way, we played games and sang songs. Well, they sang, I just sort of hummed along. Sadly, immortality did not bring a sense of rhythm or the ear for carrying a tune. However, Nessie had a lovely singing voice and was just beginning to learn to play the piano under Edward's tutelage. Apparently, Edward had the stronger genes when it came to our daughter. Aside from my brown eyes and Charlie's curls, it didn't seem as though she inherited anything from my side. Apparently, not only was she a Cullen, but she was also a Masen through and through. As Nessie got older, she began to bear a striking resemblance to a young Elizabeth Masen in her wedding photo. I knew very little about Edward's family as I knew it made him sad to speak about his human family. Maybe he thought that I didn't quite catch the way his breathing changed whenever he spoke about them, but I noticed. I wanted Nessie to know more about where she came from. Hopefully, after all this Jacob nonsense died down, we could plan a trip to Chicago. I had never been and I would like to know more about the city that produced my husband. Without him knowing, I had read up on Chicago and about World War I. Books had often brought me to places I had never been like Jane Austen's England and Edith Wharton's New York. But it was Edward Masen's Chicago that I was most interested in and I had an actual "living," breathing tour guide for that. Right now, I was reading _The Devil in the White City_ about the World's Fair in Chicago that had taken place just before Edward was born.

"We're here!" Edward exclaimed for Nessie's benefit.

We weren't quite the first ones there, but we had been early enough to be able to find a parking spot right away. Renee unstrapped Nessie from the car seat while Edward got a backpack out of the trunk. Inside was a change of clothes for Nessie in case of emergency and a few other emergency items like packets of human blood that had been sent from one of Jasper's connections. It had arrived via messenger late yesterday afternoon while Renee and Phil took Nessie to the park. It was just a precaution since we would be packed in with humans all day long. Even though it was overcast, it was still hot and humid. We had the air conditioning on in the car for both Renee and Nessie which didn't bother me at all. However, it would be nice to feel the warm Florida air.

"Wait," said a perplexed Renee. "Don't you have a stroller for Nessie? It's going to be a long day. I don't mind carrying her when she gets tired for a little while, but like I said, it's a long day at a theme park especially with a small child."

It had never occurred to us to buy a stroller. Neither of us would ever tire of carrying her so there didn't seem to be any point. However, appearances were appearances were appearances.

Edward quickly spoke up. "We had one that folded up, but the airlines lost it on our way down here. We haven't needed one since we've been here so it slipped our minds to buy one. I'm sure we can rent one in the park if we end up needing it."

"Guys, I know you're both new to this parenting thing, but having a stroller is kind of Raising Kids 101. Don't worry, when we get back to Jacksonville, I'll buy one for you. I mean, you seem to be doing well so far, but maybe you should read some books or something so you're better prepared." Who was this woman and what had she done with my "Really, chocolate and pizza are fine for breakfast" mother? Was she kidding me?

"You're right, Mom. That's a generous offer, but we can afford to buy one on our own."

Edward was trying to stifle his laughter. A huge help that husband of mine.

We made our way to the park entrance and Edward plunked down a credit card to pay for our tickets. It did not escape Renee's notice that it was in fact, the elusive black American Express card offered solely to those who charge at least $100,000 a year. In fact, I'm pretty sure the American Express employees offered a special toast to the Cullen family each year at their Christmas party. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a large photograph of Alice in the CEO's office.

With tickets in hand, we proceeded through the main entrance which was on Main Street. Everywhere you looked, Americana stared back at you. Everything was meticulously manicured and utterly perfect. From the greenery to the architecture to the park employees walking around in costume. Every child should have the opportunity to experience this human or not.

I looked down at Nessie who was holding Edward's hand. She was standing still with her mouth open just staring at everything around her in wonderment. I looked at Edward who was absolutely beaming as he looked at our daughter. It was the perfect moment. He bent down to Nessie's height and pointed straight ahead. He whispered, "Darling, look!"

Nessie just about lost it. Her eyes grew wide as Cinderella's Castle came into view. It was the first of many moments that took Nessie's breath away. We walked over to the castle and Edward immediately got out his camera to get some video and some still pictures. I posed for a few, but I really just looked at him in amazement. Had I not known the circumstances behind this visit to Disney World, I would have thought that he was a just another young father (albeit an indescribably handsome young father) enjoying his child just like anyone else. I didn't say it out loud, but I know that thought would have made him happy.

The castle was only the first of many stops during this adventure-filled day. We rode the teacups, went on the Dumbo ride, wandered through Mickey's Country House and spent many rounds going through It's a Small World at both Nessie and Renee's request. We rode the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. We walked all the way through the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and took the railroad all throughout the park. During Snow White's Scary Adventure, Nessie commented to me that the Evil Queen looked a lot like Leah Clearwater. Edward burst out laughing and Renee just looked at us clearly not understanding the humor. We capped off our time there with a ride on Splash Mountain. Wisely, we steered clear of the Animal Kingdom. We did, however, make sure to get Mouse Ears for everyone in the family with their names embroidered on them. We even wore ours through the park as we walked around laden with bags full of souvenirs. Renting a stroller wasn't necessarily a bad idea.

We strode on over to Epcot and had lunch at the French Pavilion. Amazingly, me and Edward were just not that hungry, but Nessie and Renee filled up on Croques Monsieurs and Nutella-filled crepes. We visited all the other internationally-themed pavilions: Germany, Mexico, Italy, Canada, China, Japan, Morocco and England. We even rode the log floom when we reached Norway.

While Edward had been upbeat and excited all day, I noticed some cracks beginning to appear. He had been happy to come to Epcot because it was both entertaining and educational for Nessie, but something was off. Again, only I noticed it because I knew his temperament and habits so well. I walked over to him as Renee took Nessie over to look at a display.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Edward, I know you. Something is up. All day, you've been fine and now you seem… I don't know…distracted."

"Really, I'm okay."

"Okay, but not great. You can tell me anything. Maybe it will help you to talk about it."

"But will it help you?"

"What? I'm not following you."

"I'm just concerned about what is happening back home. Today has been a dream, but Forks and Jacob are always in the back of my mind. Seeing Nessie today act her age and having the chance to be a little girl, I am more determined than ever to finish this business with Jake once and for all letting our daughter have a life. I just don't know how to do it."

"Edward, we'll think of something."

"We will, but we need to do it fast. We don't have much time."

"Why? What happened?"

He took a minute staring off into the distance and repositioned himself.

"Well, there's the obvious, we cannot stay here much longer as Nessie grows. One week is fine, but Renee is going to notice."

"And the not so obvious that you're not telling me?"

"Please, please keep in mind that I only did this for your protection and happiness as well as the fact that I made a promise to your father…"

"Edward, please?"

"Yesterday, I got a call from Alice. There was a minor car accident involving the Quileutes and Charlie?"

"WHAT?" He took my hands in his as I stared back at him incredulously.

"Your father is fine overall, but he broke one arm and slightly injured the other. He has some minor cuts and bruises. They ran his car off the road as they were taunting him and trying to get our location out of him."

"Minor cuts and bruises…" I shook my head. I could not believe Edward kept this from me. "How could you not tell me this? This is just like when you took me to Florida when Victoria came back to Forks."

"Love, your father made me promise not to tell you. He wanted you to have this time with your mother. I understand where you get it from now."

"Get what?"

"Putting the needs of others before your own. Please don't be angry. He did not want to upset you. He and I both agree that with everything going on, you did not need to worry about him."

"Hmph. It's easy for you to say that because he's not your father."

"I admit it…Charlie and I…well, we've had our ups and downs, but we do love and value each other in our own way. And with everything that's happened, we've both been reminded just how important family is. You may find this hard to believe, but last night when we spoke, Charlie told me I was a good son. And what you might find even more difficult to believe is that I look upon him as my father just as much as Carlisle is. I don't know how it happened, but somehow we've managed to cobble together this semblance of family that is more real than most people can ever dream of having. Even with Renee…the woman does not so much as flinch when myself or my family is around. She has accepted us whole-heartedly. Even with Nessie. Nessie, who she believes is my imaginary brother's daughter. Sheloves her as if she is her own grand-daughter. Renee could have easily been kind to her, but kept her at arm's length. But she didn't. She sees Nessie as an extension of me and loves her because of that. She sees me as her own son. I know. I can see it in her head. So please don't ever say that again. I think of Charlie and Renee as being my natural family. As much a part of me as you and Nessie. And especially since they gave me you."

I stood there speechless. I knew he liked Charlie and Renee, but I had never known just how much they meant to him. I felt horrible for saying that he didn't care. I looked down at the ground feeling the imaginary tears that I could picture flowing down my face.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to doubt you."

"You're overwhelmed. We all are." He hugged me close to him and breathed in my scent. "I love you Isabella Swan."

"Isabella Swan Masen Cullen." I held on to him with all of my might.

Just then Renee walked over carrying Nessie."

"Kids, this one is getting sleepy. Why don't we catch a few minutes of the parade and then head home?"

Nessie became alert. "But, Grandma, I'm not tired! I don't want to go home!"

Edward took her into his arms and kissed her cheek. "Darling, Mickey and Minnie have to go to bed just like you after the parade. You will not be missing a thing."

We took the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom and found a good place to watch the parade. As we stood together, I thanked God for blessing me with this moment. It was indeed magical. From these horrible circumstances came this week with my mother. I knew it wouldn't always be like this since we had yet to come up with a story as to why Nessie was growing at an exponential rate. Renee had noticed when I bought several shirts for Nessie in different sizes. This magic wouldn't last forever, but at least Renee had met Nessie and Nessie got to meet her grandmother. Tomorrow, this would be but a memory since I knew what must be done. We must get on a plane to Forks to finish this Jacob business once and for all. But…it would be one of my most cherished memories for all of eternity.

**Thank you for taking the time to read my story. You have been overwhelmingly kind to me with your reviews. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. If you do add me as a favorite or as an alert, please take a moment to review. Everything helps.**

**Oh! If you are looking for a good book to read, **_**The Devil in the White City**_** by Erik Larson is phenomenal. It's the true story of the Chicago World's Fair mixed in with true crime. **


	10. Chapter 10

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

**SETH POV**

It was moments like this that I cursed being a Quileute. What predestined reason was there behind me being born into the tribe? I never minded before. I'm proud of the tribe of my forefathers and its history. But now I'm just bitter. And resentful. This is all new to me. I've never had these feelings before. Did I mention that Leah Clearwater is my sister and I've never been bitter before?

I mean, really…how can the rest of the tribe go along with all of this? This is not what our elders would have wanted. We're a peaceful people. At least we were until certain people started abusing their power. This is so beyond ridiculous. Now maybe I can't talk because I have yet to imprint and maybe this is one of those situations that you really have to go through firsthand to truly understand it. I have seen imprints happen a thousand times though and it was always true. Maybe it wasn't always smooth sailing, but it never felt forced or anything less than 1000% genuine affection. People got hurt in the process. Like I said, Leah is my sister and I know how hurt she was when Sam imprinted on someone else. He didn't mean it. It was destiny or fate or maybe even just some freak biological quirk we have yet to make sense of. I don't know. I don't want to know. I just hope that when it happens to me that I don't have to hurt anyone or break anyone's heart. Ha! Can you imagine me of all people being a heartbreaker? Stranger things have happened though.

Look at Jake and Nessie. We all felt for him when Bella went back to Edward. I can't even imagine how much he wanted to tear everything down and burn it all when he found out they were getting married. It was awesome to think that he would finally have some happiness when Nessie came along. It worked for a little while. The guy went through hell trying to keep her safe from those old vamps. He was my hero. I really looked up to him for following his heart. And I really looked up to him when he was able to go through everything with Bella and come out the other side being able to be friends (or whatever) with Edward. I know this makes people think I need my head examined, but I really like Edward. He's cool. He's a genius. He's always been really nice to me and on occasion lets me drive the Vanquish. Cullen even let me take Bella's Ferrari out once. He can cook too. But that all pales in comparison to the fact that vampire or not, he's a very nice guy and a gentleman. I could get exiled for saying this, but I kinda want be like him when I grow up. Dude, I know I sound crazy.

So it is definitely not cool what Jake is doing. Like I said, I really resent him now. Once he got a chance to breathe and everyone started to look to him as the true alpha again, he got greedy. He imprinted on this little girl and began to feel entitled to her love. Her attention. It wasn't always like that, but I guess he felt Bella and Edward (him especially) owed him and payment came in the form of their darling and much cherished daughter.

I would never turn my back on my tribe, but I'm with Edward on this one. I don't think this is a real imprint. If you love someone, you don't exactly groom them for a life of servitude. And you don't threaten the lives of their family when they stand up to you about the crappy way you treat their child. I wouldn't want that for my kid. Why would anyone?

Oh yeah, so like I said, I'm feeling really resentful of the tribe right now. It's mostly Jake who I can't stand anymore, but I can't believe how lame the rest of them are being by blindly following whatever Jake tells them to do. He's the leader for sure, but so are a lot of people who have no business being in charge. They are because of birth. Like the kings in Europe used to be with divine right and all that. Jake is like the Prince Charles of the Quileutes or something. Or whoever. I can't remember all their names. All I know is that he no longer has the best interest of either the tribe or Nessie in mind.

I really hate what is going on with all the intimidation of the Cullens and Charlie. Especially Charlie. I can't believe that Billy is allowing this. I mean, they almost killed the guy running him off the road. Oh yeah Jake, Nessie is really going to fall head over heels in love with you when you send your goons out to almost kill her family. Billy is just as bad for being so indulgent with Jake. I know Jake is his only son and all so you would think he would understand Edward's point of view. It's not as if he doesn't care for Nessie as well. He keeps pictures that she's drawn on his fridge. She drew her grandpa, herself and Billy on a fishing trip. So what the hell is he doing?

So you can imagine how forward I'm looking to tonight's tribal council meeting. Great! What other ways can we come up to scare the crap out of Nessie? On top of resenting the tribe, I am also worried about my mom. Charlie is her boyfriend and I wouldn't be surprised if they got married one day soon. That would make Nessie my niece and Bella and Edward would be my step sister and brother. What kind of world am I living in that I would welcome being related to a vampire over the brotherhood of my tribe? I take that back. I would be proud to have Edward as a brother. I'm secretly a little jealous of Emmett and Jasper. _My_ brotherhood has made a mockery out of the Quileutes.

I'm just glad I'm in human form right now. I can't risk them hearing my thoughts in my wolf form. They have me so paranoid. I take a minute to clear my mind anyway before I open the door to the cultural center where these meetings are held. Finally, I enter the building and make my way to the multi-purpose room taking a seat on one of the benches near the back. Being this close to them makes me sick. If my father were alive to see all this, he would be ashamed. Leah sees me and walks over taking a seat next to me.

"What do you think they'll think of next?" she whispers. I just shake my head and look forward as Billy and some of the other elders call the meeting to order.

"Thank you all for coming to tonight's emergency meeting. We have an important development. One of Quil Ateara's cousins who works at Sea-Tac called to let us know that Edward, Bella and Nessie are due to land in about ten minutes in Seattle. Had we known earlier, we could have intercepted them at the airport. Now, we'll have to come up with another plan to return Nessie to us. We need to act quickly. Like in the next hour." Billy told the tribe.

Oh shit.

"The element of surprise is of the utmost importance. We need to get Edward and Bella alone and outnumbered. Nessie is still a little girl and we don't want to scare her by having her see her family get hurt or worse."

Or worse??? Is he fucking kidding me?

"So, while we are out taking care of this situation, we'll have to circle the wagons here at the reservation and make everyone stays close in case of retaliation."

I looked around the room expecting some outrage, people not expecting them to go this far, but everyone sat there stone-faced. Were we like the Stepford Quileutes or something? Leah was the only one as horrified as I was.

Billy continued, "We've already selected the group to welcome the Cullens home and the rest of you will stay here on the reservation."

I looked around the room and noticed that there were about seven others missing. And included in that group was Jake.

"I know there are a few of you who may disagree with the tribe's choice to be aggressive in this matter, but no one wants to see the alpha robbed of his imprint. So many of you understand the power of the bond between a Quileute and his imprint so you can agree that this matter of the alpha and his imprint being dealt with is currently the most critical and time-sensitive issue we face."

I got up and went to go to the door to leave. I had to get word to the Cullens and let them know what was going on.

Billy wasn't having any of this. "Seth, where do you think you're going?"

"I'm leaving."

Everyone watched the conversation as no one ever stormed out of meetings.

"Oh, no you're not. Boys!" Some of the newer pack members blocked the exits.

"What the…?"

Leah jumped up. "You can't keep him here against his will!"

Billy's eye narrowed and focused on Leah. "Seth is going to warn the Cullens. They need to be taken by surprise. Neither he nor YOU nor anyone else in this room is going anywhere until this is over. We'll stay here all night if we have to."

They were keeping all of us here???

I spoke up. "Whatever Billy! Even if you keep us here, my mom can still warn them!"

"Oh you stupid children. No one outside of this room knows what's happening. Your mother won't be calling anyone. She'll just go about her normal life. How disappointed your father would be if he knew that you were fraternizing with the enemy!"

"They are our friends! They've never done anything to us! You're the ones who have always been aggressive against the Cullens! They have NEVER given you any reason to attack. They never once broken the treaty! In fact, Jake was the one who did that. They've served the community of Forks more than anyone in this tribe has lately!"

Without realizing it, I had moved closer to the front of the room. "And the rest of you! How can you go along with this?!?! This is nonsense! Insanity! You are all so willing for an all out war because Jacob Black's imprint doesn't like him? Are you kidding me? Jacob is no alpha as far as I'm concerned. His judgment is clouded by delusions of grandeur!" Did I just say grandeur? Then I turned to Billy. "And don't you dare bring my father into this!"

"Your father understood not to go against the natural law of the Quileute tribe! You, Seth and let's not forget Leah, are an embarrassment. You think the Cullens are your friends? Believe me, if they got hungry and couldn't find any elk, they wouldn't hesitate to gulp down your blood. Don't kid yourselves! And when this is all over, we'll have no problem handing out punishments to those tribe members who cannot be counted on to support the tribe for the greater good! Now sit down and be quiet!"

His eyes moved from me to the rest of the tribe. "Anyone else have a problem with this?"

Not one person stood up or said anything at all. I looked at Leah who in turn looked at the ground. We were out numbered. I took my seat next to her.

What the hell was Jake going to do?

**BELLA POV**

Nessie did not sleep on the plane. She was practically bouncing out of her seat at the idea of seeing the family. I was excited for her, but apprehensive about the fight that we needed to prepare for. When and how that fight was going to happen, I did not know.

We pulled up in front of the mansion and Edward quickly got her unbuckled. As soon as he set her on the ground, she went running for the house. Alice was the first one through the door and she scooped Nessie up into her arms.

"Aunt Alice! Aunt Alice!"

"Sweetheart, I've missed you so much! You've gotten so big!"

Rosalie took her from Alice and swung her around. "Nessie!" Emmett put his arms around both of them enveloping them in a hug.

An hour later after many more heartfelt reunions, Nessie couldn't keep her eyes open. She didn't want to go though since she saw how injured Charlie was. I saw the fear creep back into her eyes. I picked her up and Edward got the bags. We decided that they would brief us tomorrow with everything that had happened. We bid everyone good night. Charlie was staying over again and was sleeping in Edward's old room. How things have changed.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the cottage. I put Nessie down on the ground and she ran to her room. Despite her insistence that she bring Fergus with us, she had forgotten him. She wanted to say hello.

A second later, Edward and I looked at each other. That was when we smelled it. Now, the cottage always smelled faintly like dog since Jake usually was around. However, even before we left, it had grown even fainter and now it was quite strong.

"NESSIE!!!!!!!"

We both ran to her room to find Jake holding Nessie in his arms with his huge hands covering her mouth. He was flanked by two other wolves and it sounded like there were more outside. Nessie's eyes were filled with tears as she struggled to get loose. Jake just looked at us and laughed.

"Don't even think about it. She's _mine_."

_**Thank you all so very much for all of the kind and encouraging reviews. I truly appreciate it and feel very lucky that you all took the time to read my story. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. It all helps.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

**JAKE POV**

Well, that was a pain in the ass. I grabbed Nessie and ran while the other six of them held Edward and Bella down. It got dicey and so they had to rip off both sets of their arms. No big deal. They can be put back together and heal quickly. All we needed was a few minutes of a head start. Then they all ran. We got into a truck waiting on a road at the edge of the forest and took off. That's where the trail of Nessie's scent would end for them.

We drove all night and by the early afternoon were on a reservation in Arizona. One of my dad's friends agreed to let us stay in his house while he was on a cross-country trip. The rest of the guys who kept Edward and Bella down ran off after that and drove off in different directions, but were all headed here.

Right now it was just me and Nessie. There wasn't much food in the house so I just ordered some pizza. She would have to do without any blood for awhile. I hoped to wean her off of blood for good so we could have more of a normal life. She didn't need it to survive. For the most part, I sat her in front of the TV, but she didn't really seem like she wanted to watch it. She had cried most of the way down to Arizona. Now Nessie was tuckered out and could barely keep her eyes open. She had calmed down some. She was a smart kid, my Nessie. She knew there was no point in crying for her parents. I would never let them come between us ever again.

I was in the mood for a beer and just about to fall asleep myself so I put her to bed. My dad's friend, Curtis, had a little boy so I put Nessie in his bedroom. She looked around the room and then at the floor.

"What's wrong?"

She was silent. Oh for crying out loud.

"Nessie, what's the matter? Don't you want to go to sleep after the long night and day we've had? You haven't eaten anything all day. You must be exhausted. C'mon. Take off your shoes and get in bed."

She looked up at me with the saddest look on her face. This kid was killing me. She took a deep breath and sat on the floor where she began to remove her shoes. Then she scrambled onto the bed getting under the covers.

"Good girl. Now sleep well and have a great night."

Nessie looked me in the eyes for a moment and then she turned over.

"What now? Can't you say goodnight to your best friend?" She really was working my last nerve.

I knelt down by the side of the bed that she was facing. "Nessie, honey, tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's bothering you."

She put her little hand up to my face giving me a vision that made me want to hurl. It was Bella and Edward sitting on a swing holding Nessie between them. They were all smiling.

_I want my mommy and daddy_ came through loud and clear.

"Honey, you know that's not possible. They ain't good people. They're gonna try and keep us apart. Now I know you don't want that. You don't want to be separated from me, do you?"

She touched my face again giving me the same message, but much stronger.

"Sorry kid, no can do. See you tomorrow."

I shut off the light and went to the fridge to get a beer. I parked myself on the couch and flipped through the channels. I found a game and let myself drift off into oblivion.

I was impatient. I mean, yeah, I know this kid grows fast and all, but I wanted her to be an adult like now. Couldn't we just skip over this part? I guess it's different when they're your own kids and all, but I just had no patience for Nessie. I wanted her to be an adult so I could finally get the life I deserved. This was utter bullshit. Really. Why does almost everyone else find their imprint and get to start their lives together right away? I get screwed yet again and have to put up with this bullshit. It wasn't fair. First this Bella and Edward crap. That girl broke my heart after I gave her everything I had. She ran back to that bastard as soon as she could.

She owed me. They both did. Fuckers. Edward had everything: money, looks, education. A bit of a pansy though, that one. He kept putting Bella off every time she wanted sex. What the hell was wrong with that guy? She was begging him to fuck her and he acts like a prude. Bella needed a real man. Bella needed me. Too bad I never got the chance to get there before him. She would never want any other man ever again.

I can just imagine what their wedding night must have been like. In my mind, Edward speaks with some haughty, pretentious accent:

"_Now Bella, please remove the lower half of your clothing and keep your hands to yourself. When I give you the signal, you will proceed to make yourself available to my sexual organ. Hold still and try not to cry. My perfect body cannot be soiled by your human fluids."_

If she had given me a chance, she still would be recovering wondering what the hell hit her.

But I can't dwell on the past. Nessie is my future. We'll run for a few years and Nessie won't be recognizable to them. They won't even know who they're looking for. Maybe I would take a page from the Cullens' own book and fake some horrific accident where me and Nessie are supposedly killed. How do ya like that one, EDWARD?!?!

**RENESMEE POV**

Where were they? Where were my Mommy and Daddy? Why haven't they come for me? They promised me that they would always protect me from Jacob and now they were gone.

I want to go home and sleep in my own bed. I don't want to be with Jacob anymore. He took me away from home and from Forks. And my Grampa Charlie and Grampa Carlisle and everyone else. I wish my Uncle Emmett were here. He would save me and wouldn't let Jacob ever hurt me again.

I cried the whole time we were driving away from home. The last I saw of my parents was them being held down by some of Jacob's friends. My Mommy was yelling out for me. I've never heard her raise her voice like that before. She and Daddy both struggled under the wolves, but the wolves were strong and there were more of them.

I don't know where I am. When I looked out the window of the car, I saw a cactus plant. There were lots of them. I remember them from the picture that Mommy showed me of her human home in Phoenix. Is that where we are? Arizona?

All I know is that this isn't my house and this isn't my room. In my room, the walls are pink and I have a princess bed. The sheets are so soft. Not like these. These sheets were faded and had pictures of cars and trucks on them. There were shelves with toys that boys like. It was really dark and there was no night light. I hated to be in the dark in a strange place. I hated to be by myself. When we visited Florida, Grandma Renee put a nightlight in the bedroom for me. I missed her already. It was just yesterday when I saw her. What was she doing now? Did she miss me? Did Grandma Esme miss me? And Aunt Rose?

The next morning, I got out of the bed and went into the living room. Jacob was asleep on the couch. He was breathing heavily like Grandpa Charlie, but not as much snoring. I went to the front door and tried to open it, but it was locked. There was more than one lock too. I walked to the back of the house, but that was locked too.

"What do you think you're doing?" He found me. I couldn't move.

"I want to go home."

"This is home now, Ness. We can't go back to Forks. Forks is dead to us."

Dead?

"Now c'mon. Let's get you something to eat."

He grabbed me by the wrist and led me into the kitchen. He sat me down at the table and pulled the pizza out of the refrigerator. Jacob put it down in front of me and opened the box. He took a slice of it and held it out to me. My Daddy wouldn't like this. Every morning, my Daddy made me breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast, cereal, orange juice. Sometimes waffles on Sundays.

I didn't want to, but I was really hungry so I took the pizza from him and started to eat it. After I finished, I got down from the chair and started walking to the bathroom.

"Hey Ness, where are you going?"

"I'm supposed to brush my teeth after a meal."

"Ness, honey, I don't have a toothbrush for you. Just rinse out your mouth with water."

Mommy would not be happy about this. I walked back to Jacob.

"What are we doing now?"

He took me by my wrist again and led me into the room with the television. He put a cushion on the floor and sat me on top of it.

"Watch some TV for awhile. I'm sure there are cartoons on."

I found the cartoons, but after a few hours I was bored. I got up and went to Jacob. He was talking on the phone. I pulled on the leg of his pants. He looked down at me, but didn't look happy to see me.

"WHAT? Can't I talk on the phone? Geez!"

"I don't want to watch television anymore. Can I have a book?"

"There are no books. Go sit down and be quiet."

I did as he told me. A little bit later, the rest of Jacob's friends arrived. They were loud. They made whistling noises and cheered to each other about having gotten rid of the "vamps." Did they kill everyone? What did that mean? Were my Mommy and Daddy gone? No one would tell me.

For the next few days, all we did was watch television and eat pizza. Soon, my clothes became too small for me and were very uncomfortable. Jacob gave me one of his T-shirts to wear. I put it on and it came all the way down to my feet. I had to hold it up every time I walked so I wouldn't fall.

I was also dirty. It had been a few days since my last bath. My curls were also tangled. Jake noticed this too and sat me on his knee. He took a hair brush and started ripping it through my hair. It hurt so much that I started to cry again. Jake thought it was because of my knotty hair, but I cried because I was by myself with no one to care for me like my family did.

Why couldn't they find me? Where were they? Why had they left me? I wondered if I would ever see them again. I cried myself to sleep every night imagining my Daddy singing my lullaby. If what the boys were saying was true, I would never hear my Daddy's voice ever again. I would never hear my Mommy telling me she loved me ever again. The last memory of my parents would be of them screaming and reaching out for me before Jake took me away.

_**Thank you all for continuing to read my story. I really appreciate it! Constructive criticism is always helpful. Thanks!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

**BELLA POV**

"NESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

I screamed and screamed for my daughter while I struggled under the weight of the three Quileute boys. I tried lifting my head, but one of them was sitting on the back of my shoulders holding my neck down to the floor. If I were still human, I would have passed out by now.

"GET OFF ME!!!!!!!!" Edward screamed next to me. We both struggled to free ourselves, but there were just too many of them.

Then came the final insult. Not only had these bastards helped the devil himself to kidnap our daughter, but they chose the most inhumane torture to just short of killing us. But I suppose they saw nothing wrong with it because to them, that's exactly what we were…inhuman.

"Ladies first!" said Quil. I felt him grab my arm while the two others struggled to keep me pinned down. I was able to see Edward's face for a moment and saw his eyes go wide.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!!! GET OFF HER!!!"

There followed the most excruciating pain I had experienced since my change. Quil ripped off my right arm. The left followed a few seconds later. Through my screams, I heard him laugh and hold up my arms like poles.

"Too bad we can't stick around and play _Star Wars_. We got two light sabers right here!"

They all started laughing. Paul got himself under control, "But Dude, there are six of us. We need more than that!"

And with that Quil ripped off Edward's arms. I watched in horror as my poor husband unleashed the most bloodcurdling scream. How could they???

"You bastards!!! You will rot in hell!!! Leave my husband alone!!!"

Quil just laughed. "Now, Mrs. Cullen, is that how you talk to guests in your home? Do you think your dear, sweet mother-in-law would appreciate such sharp tongued nastiness soiling that good Cullen name? I think you would shame her." He looked down at the pile of limbs. "Oh wait, that's only four."

He then proceeded to take off not only one of my legs, but also one of Edward's. "Here we go, six vampire…oh shit! INCOMING!"

The Quileutes dropped everything and ran out the back door. A few seconds later, Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett flew through the door. They gasped as they saw us and our body parts strewn across the living room.

"PLEASE! Jake took Nessie and the rest of the wolves just took off! FIND THEM! PLEASE!" I couldn't finish because between the pain of losing Nessie and the pain of my injuries caused me to sink into a crying fit.

Jasper and Emmett took off after the wolves while Carlisle sorted us out. He turned me over gently and started to reattach my limbs to my body. Each one had to be held in place and took about thirty minutes to heal.

My brothers returned empty-handed. Emmett could barely contain his anger at the idea that his beloved niece had been stolen from us. She did not only belong to me and Edward, but had become a surrogate child to every one of the Cullen couples.

"They're gone! They split up in different directions and then we lost them completely when we got to the main highway. They must have had a car waiting." Jasper concluded.

Right away, both began to assist Carlisle in attending to our injuries. I knew I needed to find my inner strength to get through this and to save Nessie, but at the moment, I could do nothing more than cry. Carlisle rubbed circles on my back while we waited for the limbs to complete their transformation.

I looked over at Edward hoping that maybe I would see a spark of reassurance in his eyes, but he wasn't looking at me. Instead, he was staring off into space and was completely silent. Carlisle noticed this and whispered in my ear.

"Bella, my sweet, we will get her back. Everything is going to be fine. I promise you."

"No, it's not." It wasn't me who answered Carlisle. It was Edward breaking his silence at last. "Nothing will ever be fine again." He was still staring off into nothing.

Jasper couldn't bear to see his brother so defeated and broken. "Edward, we WILL get her back. And we will see to it that the Quileutes suffer the consequences."

Finally, Edward turned to face us all.

"Don't you see? The damage has already been done. Yes, we will get Nessie back, but God only knows how this will affect her. How can anyone go through all of this in one lifetime and come out the other side completely fine? Tell me, Carlisle. Make me believe that Jacob Black hasn't completely ruined my daughter by making her worst fears come true. I know we'll get her back, but how do I explain to my child why I have failed her by not being able to protect her from Jacob? She will spend the rest of her existence looking over her shoulder fearing that someone will always be there trying to hurt her. She'll live in fear forever. I should have taken Bella and Nessie and fled the minute Jake imprinted."

"Edward, this is Nessie we're talking about. She is a remarkable being. Like any child, she is resilient. No, we don't have an easy road ahead of us, but we will get through this. Nessie knows we love her and will do everything in our power to watch over her to make her feel secure. Don't think that you and Bella are the only ones who would walk through fire for that little girl. I think that you would find that inferno quite crowded."

Carlisle turned his attention back to my arm.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Don't you worry, darling. Nessie will be back with us before you know it. Now what do we do first?"

At that, Edward straightened up and had a rather decided look on his face.

"Easy. They invaded our territory and took what is most precious to us. We must invade their territory and take what is most precious to them. An even exchange. Well, nothing in their world could even compare to my daughter, but it's the only leverage we have right now."

Indeed.

I could tell that Jasper's mind was running a mile a minute.

"Everyone does realize that after all this is over, we need to leave Forks, right? I mean, it's all out war now. It's not like we can call the police or anything. There's no hope of a treaty after this."

I knew this was true, but I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Charlie. Surely, we would visit, but it wouldn't be the same. And I had wanted so badly for Nessie to grow up knowing at least someone from my side of the family. This would crush him too. Oh how she loved her Grampa Charlie! And in my heart of hearts, I suspected that Nessie was truly the daughter Charlie always wanted. Oh, Charlie loved me alright, but Nessie and Charlie were friends, not just family. She loved sports and fishing. She loved when he would drive her in the cruiser and let her turn on the sirens for just a minute.

But now I had to push this to the back of my mind. I had to get my daughter back. After the lengthy healing process, we all quickly ran back to the main house. Esme had closed the metal shutters on the back glass wall of the house.

We burst through the door and Alice was sitting on the floor hugging her knees with Esme comforting her.

"Alice, sweetheart, there's no way you could have seen this! You've never been able to see the wolves or Nessie."

"I know, but she's my niece! I spend everyday with her! I should be more attuned to her! What good is this gift if I can't protect the ones I love?"

Charlie leaned over to Rosalie and whispered, "What is she talking about?"

"I'll tell you later."

I walked over to Alice, kneeled down next to her and threw my arms around her.

"Alice, this is not your fault! But now we need you to help us."

Rosalie stood over everyone with her arms tightly crossed. "I assume we're on our way to La Push?"

Edward answered her with a laser focus I've never seen before. "I'm in charge. I will go straight for their strength by any means necessary. Let's go."

Alice and Esme stayed behind to protect Charlie. The rest of us left for what could be a suicide mission right into the heart of our new enemy's stronghold.

**EDWARD POV**

Why didn't Seth warn us? Surely he knew. He had to. He was part of the wolves' collective consciousness. He was practically my brother now. However, it was something I would deal with later. Right now, I must concentrate on getting my daughter back.

We had a few brief minutes to form a plan which was really no plan at all. The more time we wasted the further Jacob and the rest of the wolves ran taking my daughter farther away from me. I knew I could no longer ask the heavens why they were doing this to us. God had no part in this. God had given us Nessie. How could a power that created something so pure and beautiful be the same force that put evil in this world? Good could not exist without the presence of evil. Pure evil was the force responsible for this. Well, if evil wanted a fight, I would be the vessel that unleashed the type of justice that only God can deliver.

We ran straight through the main gate to La Push. I had not been here since Carlisle treated Jacob after the fight with the newborns. This might have been Nessie's home for awhile if she married Jacob. Yet, I barely knew it. Luckily, that future would never come to pass no matter how much Jacob tried to fight it.

There had been random Quileutes walking around the reservation, but none of these particular people were wolves in human form. Of course, they knew who we were right away.

_Oh no! Someone should get word to the elders in the council hall._

Ah, so that's where they were. It was times like this that I was grateful for my gift. I followed the path in the minds of those around me. With the others close behind, we approached the hall. The stench of the wolves permeated everything. Some young wolves were guarding the doors. They were helpless really. New wolves who had never really been in battle and had yet to understand what is was like to go head to head with an enemy who had a century of knowledge and skill. I almost felt sorry for them. Almost.

"It's the fucking vamps! Don't let them get any closer!" one of them yelled.

They came charging toward us. Fists drawn, scary faces on. But…we were faster and far more cunning. Emmett quite easily took three of them down and Jasper had barely broken the proverbial sweat. Carlisle and Rosalie made quick work of bringing down the rest of them. Bella surprised me most with her raw vampire instincts. Or maybe it was just a mother desperate to find her baby. When no more of these children heaved at us, I quickly broke the locks on the main entrance. Along with those, shattered glass and twisted metal marked our path into the building.

I pushed through the doors to the hall with such force that the double doors actually came off their hinges and landed in the crowd. And no, I didn't care.

"Edward!" Seth called out to me. He quickly ran through the events of earlier in the evening. He and Leah were being kept here against their will. I knew he would never let me down no matter who his allegiance was with. Seth was a good person. However, I was not here to punish the good. Only the evil. The room was overflowing with it.

Seth joined me at my side with Leah close behind. They were risking everything for us. When this was all over, I would make sure that they along with their mother were moved off of the reservation. Chances are that they would become family soon anyway with Charlie and Sue being so intimately connected. I would take care of them like I would any other brother and sister of mine.

At the front of the room at a head table were some of the elders and Billy Black. Some of the younger wolves tried to attack us again, but with a few flicks of the wrist they were quickly disposed of and lying on the ground doubled over in pain. The crowd grew silent and their minds told me they were too afraid to challenge us with that show of force. All of these wolves were also young. Their numbers may have grown, but they were still children. Me and my family were still stuff of legend to them.

Billy surveyed the destruction that littered the main pathway of the room. A quick leap and I would be inches away from him. He and the rest of the elders had never phased, but knew any sort of strength that they could muster would be no match for us.

Billy tried to keep his mind blank and his smile smug.

"Well, hello Cullen family."

I was having none of this nonsense and condescension.

"Call them back from wherever they are hiding NOW!"

"And what good will that do exactly? You think you can rewrite a future that is predestined? Don't make me laugh."

"Predestined? Don't make ME laugh! You are truly the most disgusting and repugnant group I have ever come across. I've lived over a hundred years and have seen every type of vermin, but you all really take the cake. You steal a little girl away from her family hiding behind the guise that the universe has chained her to you for life! That is not love! That is a jail sentence! God is not the warden in your sick twisted world so don't you dare even try to play God with the life of my daughter! You bring her back to me now! Because let me tell you…if I am forced to go after your son, you will be lucky if you can fill a match box with what will be left of him. And you wouldn't want to be separated from _your_ child now, would you? That would be just inhuman…don't you agree?"

"Don't kid yourself. Jacob and Nessie are well protected. Harm will not come to them by your hands."

"What a selfish bastard you are. You know what we are and what we are capable of and yet you willingly sentence the children of other Quileutes to death. All because your spoiled son can't get a girl on his own."

"He had fallen in love with Bella, but you took that away from him! You had no right to come back here after all you've done! You are the ones that ruined the lives of these boys! Do you think any of this phasing would have happened if you hadn't returned to that white mausoleum in the woods? This lost generation is all your fault."

"Yes the fault of a vampire. Not science. Not genetics. Not hundreds of years of secrets passed down from within your tribe. Don't try to change the subject. If you are unwilling to call your son back to Forks, then we will take our leverage. And in the meantime, we will deploy some of the despicable trackers on earth to find them. Trackers who have no regard for human life, only money of which I have an endless supply. And when they find my child and bring her back, you will find your son in pieces on the ground. If the life of my child means so little to you that you would harm her in such a way as this, well, you can only imagine how little sorrow the idea of Jacob Black's dead body in the gutter would bring me. I will give you this one last chance. Call back your son."

"No. Don't delude yourself into thinking the Quileutes are without friends who would help them."

"Very well then. Emmett, Jasper…"

Following my cue, Emmett and Jasper grabbed Billy in his chair and walked out the front door amid screaming and yelling."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH ME???"

"Oh Billy, I've lived on this planet for more than a century. You cannot even begin to fathom the things I have in mind for you." I gave him a loaded smile and we left La Push. The rest of the Quileutes were too frightened to follow.

Bella had pulled out her phone and was placing a phone call to J. Jenks alerting him to ready his army for the search for Nessie.

_**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your kind reviews!!! I am truly overwhelmed that so many people are enjoying this story. Again, thank you for reading and constructive criticism is always appreciated! If you do favorite the story or add it to your alert list, I ask that you kindly take the time to review.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

**BELLA POV**

Jasper may have to go back to his original role as the family representative in our dealings with J. Jenks. Apparently in all the years of responding to the needs of the Cullen family, Mr. Jenks had never had the fear of God put in him with quite such fervor than that of a mother searching for her child. Up until now, the Cullens had only used him to procure things such as forged driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates. A living, breathing person was quite a different thing. But I had no doubts that he had the connections to the criminal underground network that would be able to do so.

"Good afternoon, Jason Scott's office…"

"Yes, I need to speak to him right away please!"

"Your name, Miss?"

"Cullen. Bella Cullen."

"Right away, Mrs. Cullen!"

It was a matter of seconds before he came on the line, but it seemed like an eternity.

"Mrs. Cullen! I mean, Bella! How nice to hear from you!"

" Hello J. Look, I don't have much time and we need your help!"

"Of course, what can I do for you?"

"It's my daughter. She's been kidnapped." My voice broke on the last word.

"Your little girl, Renee?"

"Renesmee."

"That's right. Start at the beginning and tell me everything."

I recounted the story from the beginning leaving out all of the supernatural elements. I wasn't quite sure how much J knew or suspected and I wasn't about to break the cardinal rule of the vampire world. _Keep the secret_.

"Please J, you have to help! You must know…people…who can help. Who can find her! We can't go to the police! You must understand!"

"Bella, calm down. I know that's easier said than done, but I need to get some more information about this…Jacob Black. I have some people I can contact. Private 'trackers' who are not connected to law enforcement. That's not a problem. I just need every detail you can possibly think of so I can give these guys something to go on. And then, I hate to say this while you are so stressed, but there is also the question of compensation."

"I have been authorized by my family to offer you and your people a retainer of one million dollars to be split amongst yourselves as you see fit. The person who brings her back safe and sound will receive five million dollars. I think that just about covers it."

J was quiet for a moment while I'm sure that the dollar amount I gave him was causing his eyes to roll into the back of his head.

"Yes, that covers it."

"I will arrange to have the retainer fee wired into your account. I'm sure Jasper has all the information, correct?"

"Yes, he does."

"Good, he will make the arrangements immediately. What other information do you need?"

"I need you to email me some recent pictures of your daughter."

"Umm…"

"Bella, I'll be needing these to send to the trackers otherwise they won't know who they're looking for."

"No, I get it. I understand, but my daughter has a…condition."

"A condition?"

"Yes, I have pictures that were taken in the past few days, but she has a condition in which she grows at an accelerated rate."

"How accelerated?"

"Very. Look, I can't go into the details. It's a very private matter, but please advise your people that she may look slightly older than the picture and her hair may be somewhat longer. It grows quickly."

"I'll make a note of that. Now just a few more questions…"

**J. JENKS POV**

One million dollars as a retainer. One fucking million dollars. I fucking love the Cullens.

But shit, Bella didn't give me anything to go on. This Jacob Black is like 6'5" and as strong as a "pack of wolves." What the hell does that mean? She didn't have a getaway car to identify and as far as we knew, he had no money and no credit cards. This all added up to a desperate person capable to doing desperate things. She gave me a few options of cars he might have taken that she has seen on the reservation, but she didn't have any license plate numbers. And on top of that, it sounds like he had a huge head start. How the hell was I going to have my guys find this Cullen kid? This R-E-N-E-S-M-E-E who also answers to "Nessie". And what was all this craziness about the kid having a growth disorder?

How the hell was I supposed to convince my guys that this search was worthwhile enough to pull them away from what they were already working on? The money will help, but there isn't any information to go on. But I had no choice. I would have to stress the four million dollar reward. Hey, I deserved to get in on that too. I was the one who had to deal with the Cullens. I enjoyed dealing with Bella, but that doesn't mean that I have forgotten the Era of Jasper.

I let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding and rubbed my temples. I refreshed my email and sure enough there was an email from Jasper. I opened the attachments and couldn't believe my eyes. Staring back at me was the most beautiful child I had ever seen in my entire life. A bronze haired little girl with rosy cheeks, ruby lips and the most captivating brown eyes. Brown eyes always seemed so flat to me, but her brown eyes were sparkling and they drew you in. She was wearing mouse ears and it looked like she was in Disney World or something. This kid was looking through the camera at the person taking the picture with such a look of love and trust. I had kids from my first marriage, but my own kids sure as hell didn't look at me that way. They found every which way to avoid looking at me. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something different about this kid.

Why am I even thinking about this? It all boils down to one vital fact. This kid was a Cullen. And the Cullens surely had ways of dealing with those people who were _not_ Cullens. I quickly rifled through my book of contacts. These weren't the type of contacts I kept in my Outlook. There were hidden away in a small leather bound book that I carried with me at all times. You never knew where you would be when a Cullen-esque call came in. After finding the first name I was looking for, I quickly dialed while simultaneously forwarding the email Jasper had sent. Wish me luck, Renesmee. It looks like this is life or death for both of us.

**JACOB POV**

She was crying. Again. She was in the bathroom standing on a chair looking in the mirror and crying her eyes out. I did feel bad about doing it, but we would need to run again soon and she would need to blend in with the rest of us to avoid questions. God only knows the resources that Edward had at his disposal. I wonder how long it took for Doctor Fang to put him and Bella back together again. At any rate, we'd have to get going. We would be heading to South Dakota. There was a reservation there that would take us in. In fact, we would be leaving in the next hour so I had to see if I could get Nessie to stop crying so we didn't raise suspicion in case we needed to stop somewhere. I would need to have a conversation with her about getting these crying jags under control and how she would have to understand that she needed to stop with these questions about when her parents were coming to get her. I kept telling her that we had to leave them behind. I was tempted to tell her that they didn't want her anymore and had decided to give her to me. She was aware of the imprinting. To what extent, I'm not sure, but I thought about saying something along the lines of her parents always intended to give her up to me. That they had just decided to do it early. Like Edward had once decided that he didn't need Bella anymore, I would tell her they decided that they didn't need her anymore.

I walked into the bathroom and she was still looking at herself in the mirror. I had cut all her hair off and dyed it black. It was cropped short like a little boy's. She screamed the whole time. Paul had to hold her down while I did it. It's just hair. It'll grow back. Girls can be so weird when it comes to their hair. Over and over again, I had explained that it was necessary. Her hair had become so knotty and matted anyway. After a few days, it looked like she was growing dreads. Also, Quil thought it would be better if we disguised her as a little boy taking advantage of all the clothes in Curtis' son's closet. They were just a bit big for her, but that wouldn't matter in a few days. We put a sweatshirt on her with some jeans. We rolled up the pants and the sleeves. She looked just like a boy. A little rosy-cheeked little boy. She was really pale, but at least the hair would make her seem like she belonged.

"Nessie, honey, please stop crying. It'll grow back. Just wait and see."

She shook her head. "I look like a boy!"

"Hon, that's the idea. You need to blend in with us. You know, look like you belong."

"Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice are going to be so mad at you! Just you wait! My daddy will be very angry!"

"Your dad is always an angry, pissed off, angsty monster."

That set off a new round of tears so violent she could barely breathe.

"He's not a monster! He's my daddy! You're a monster! You're a mean man!"

"That's how you want to play it? Okay, it's going to be a long ride then, but you're bringing this on yourself, Nessie. Just you remember that."

I picked her up and carried her as she squirmed. I walked with her through the living room towards the back door. The other guys were straightening the place up.

"C'mon on guys. We need to get on the road before this one starts acting up again."

**BELLA POV**

The family was sitting in the living room of the main house. Billy had been locked in the basement, but was screaming his head off. Hopefully, he would be hoarse soon.

Emmett came up from the basement with a tray in his hand.

"I think it's safe to say that Billy was not amused by the offering of bread and water. He spit out the bread at me. He's going to be sorry later."

Edward was pacing. Jasper was looking for God knows what on the internet. Carlisle was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed staring into the distance. Rose, Alice and I sat on the couch surrounding our mother for support.

"I thought they would have called by now offering up their whereabouts now that we have Billy," said Esme. "Surely, Jacob cares enough about his father for that."

Rose responded, "Apparently not. It turns out we're more human than he is."

My cell phone rang and I jumped to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Bella?"

"Hi J. Please tell me you're calling to tell me you found her!"

"I'm sorry to say that none of my trackers have found anything. Not one lead. This Jacob Black is a ghost."

"Damn it!"

"I'm so sorry. They'll keep looking, but I'm afraid there wasn't much to go on to begin with."

"I know, I know…well, thank you anyway and please keep looking."

"Of course." I hit the end button and slumped in my seat. Alice wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm so sorry I didn't see this, Bella!"

"It's not your fault, Alice. None of this."

I noticed that Edward had stopped pacing and he was having a silent conversation with Carlisle. He nodded breaking eye contact with his father.

"What is it?"

"We may have another way to find her, but you won't like it, Bella."

"Who cares if it brings her back to us?!?!?!"

"I agree, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth and Nessie will be scared to death if it works."

"What are you talking about?"

"More like who." He looked up at Carlisle who gave me the answer I was desperately waiting to hear.

"Demetri."

.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**

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**CARLISLE POV**

I had grown up a pastor's son with the lines between good and evil clearly marked. Never to be crossed with your feet firmly planted on the side of good, obediently fighting for its cause. There had been no room for "gray" areas in my father's house. My memories may have been given the opportunity to fall away with my change into an immortal, but there are certain ones that have stuck with me never to become strangers.

As thoroughly as I tried to live my second life, the immortal one, in accordance with the laws of man, it had been pointed out to me by many of my kind that I was no longer a man therefore those laws no longer applied to me. The only law was that of the undead…keep the secret. So simple, but yet to me it was not enough. If I believed like the others that we were far superior to humans, then should we not hold ourselves to higher standards? I thought it was the right thing to do. Agreement with my chosen philosophy was looked down upon and I was often thought to be a fool. Luckily for me at the time, the Aro, Marcus & Caius found it amusing. There were not many things in their daily lives over thousands of years that they could honestly say had struck a chord in them, but they found a temporary distraction in my devotion to a more sympathetic, more human lifestyle. They never thought that my pursuit of such lofty expectations of myself would last very long.

By discovering the Volturi and living amongst them, I had come to accept the gray areas of life that we often find ourselves in. I found a place where there were others of my kind and an acceptance. It did not take away the loneliness which seemed inherent to this life, but it made my life a little more bearable. I enjoyed the shelter and the opportunity to live openly within the confines of their fortress. The load of the life a century prior was lifted off my weary shoulders. The Volturi were very generous providing me with shelter, an education of our shared history and financial support. All of that generosity could not erase from my mind everything that was taking place around me. Hence the gray areas. Every two weeks, I left for a hunting trip as I watched the human cattle being lured to the slaughter. As grateful as I was to them, I was thoroughly disgusted at the same time.

But nowhere near as disgusted as I was with Jacob Black at the moment. If we were all creations of God who I very much revered, then there was value and good in all of us. Lately, I struggled to find those things in Jacob. He had stolen my granddaughter and was now putting me in the most undesirable position of having to appeal to the Volturi for help. Would they now view my request as a gray area? Was my coven, my family written off as dead in their eyes? I prayed that God would help me to find the right words to persuade them to come to my aid.

I did not care so much about what they thought of me, but I hoped they thought enough of me to respond to my call. I would put myself in this precarious position for my children, Edward and Bella, as the last hope to find their child. In the privacy of my study, I picked up the phone and dialed the number that was emblazoned in my brain. After a few rings, a female's voice came on the line.

"Good evening, The Council of Volterra…"

I remember the days when they disguised themselves as The Brotherhood of the Most Revered.

"Good evening. My name is Carlisle Cullen. I am calling to speak with Aro, please."

"Dr. Cullen of the Olympic coven?"

"Yes, I have a matter most urgent to discuss with Aro. Would you kindly let him know that I wish to speak to him?"

"Of course, Sir. One moment. Please hold the line."

After a few minutes on hold listening to classical music, the female returned. I surmised that this must be the Gianna that Alice and Edward had described to me. I had not been to Volterra since probably before this woman had been born.

"Dr. Cullen, I am transferring you to him now."

"Thank you."

Even though I was alone in my office, I still squared my shoulders preparing for discussion. Finally, the music stopped and the line was active again.

"Carlisle Cullen? To what do I owe honor of this call?"

"Hello, Aro. I hope you and your brothers are well."

"We are in most excellent health since our last visit with you! I hope your family is still thriving?"

"Yes, they are all in excellent health. However, the matter of this call is most urgent. I must appeal to the Volturi for their aid."

"Problems with the wolves? They were a pesky nuisance and that smell! Only to be managed in small doses, no?"

"With an element of the wolves, yes. I will not pretend that we last parted ways on good terms, but I must beseech you for your understanding. I will understand if you are unwillingly to help us."

"Oh, come now Carlisle! You know we are not so beastly! Let's hear it! Enlighten me as to what your situation is."

"There is a phenomenon amongst the wolves known as imprinting. This happens when a werewolf first meets the object of his affection. An unseen force ties them together for the rest of their lives. Much like a vampire love: unbreakable and bound for eternity. However, this is an instantaneous connection."

"I fear I do not understand how this applies to you and your family."

"The alpha leader of the pack, Jacob Black, has imprinted on my granddaughter, Renesmee. Imprinted on her and kidnapped her. She has been missing for a few days and we have exhausted our resources here trying to find her. As you can imagine, her parents are beyond distraught. I am calling you to please allow us to use Demetri's talents to locate her."

Aro was silent for a moment. I feared he was looking for the most inhumane way of turning us down or even worse, a request that my family join his guard.

"Well, my dearest Carlisle, the Volturi would be most humbled and most honored to assist you in recovering your granddaughter."

"Really?" I was cautiously optimistic.

"Really and truly! I will alert Demetri as to the task at hand. You can expect his arrival in America within hours. He will need to spend some time in the child's environment to connect with her. Once that is accomplished, then it should be no time at all before he is able to locate her. I promise that she will be returned to you unharmed."

And now the most dreaded question. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"Aro, what will you be expecting in return?"

He just snickered. "Carlisle, really! I'm insulted! I admit, that perhaps our last meeting was not the happy occasion that being reunited with you usually is, but I would never ask you, one of my dearest and oldest friends, to expect to have to repay me. Something like this is beyond payment."

I'm either incredibly lucky or stupidly naïve.

"Aro, our family is most grateful to the Volturi for kindness."

"You're welcome, Carlisle! We must speak again soon and you and the family must commit to visiting your Italian relatives much more frequently."

"Of course. Thank you once again. Goodbye."

I replaced the handset back on the receiver. Could it be that simple? We would have to wait and see.

**EDWARD POV**

Carlisle returned to the living room where the rest of us save Jasper were congregated. Jasper was having a go at Billy. Nothing violent, but he did enjoy pushing the boundaries of his gift when presented with such an opportunity. Jasper was bringing Billy from one extreme emotion to the next. Paralyzing fear and blinding terror being his favorites. Jasper was nothing if not experimental and a slave to research.

Bella jumped out of her seat and practically pounced on him eager to know if Aro delivered the refusal we were expecting. "What did he say?"

Carlisle gently took Bella's face in hands. "He has agreed to send Demetri to help us."

"At what cost?" I pressed. Carlisle looked from Bella's grateful face to my very tense one.

"As of now, he is denying that any form of repayment will be necessary. He sounded sincere, but we must be on our guard. Demetri should be arriving in a few hours. He will need access to the cottage in order to sense a connection to Nessie. Then he can locate her."

"Thank God!" Rosalie muttered. She was sitting on the loveseat with Emmett who snaked his arms around her and held her tightly.

He whispered in her ear, "See babe, I told you everything will be alright. We'll get her back."

On the couch opposite them, Alice was nestled in Esme's arms. Esme was stroking her forehead and comforting her. It was rare that Alice needed to be comforted and assured of the future, but she needlessly felt responsible for everything that had happened. They all thought of Nessie as their own cherished child and were mourning her loss just as much as me and Bella.

Bella rejoined me on the overstuffed chair, sitting on my lap. Her arm went around my neck and she leaned in to speak softly into my ear.

"Please Edward, can we get out of here for a little while. It's just…it's just too much!"

I looked into the heartbroken yet once more hopeful eyes of my wife. She was at her breaking point.

"Absolutely." I stood up being mindful of Bella. "Let's go for a drive, shall we?"

"Please."

I turned to the rest of our family. "We need to get out of here for a little while. I'll have my cell phone on me so call if anything new comes up or if Jasper finally breaks Billy's will."

"Be safe." My mother called out to us. I gave her a nod and the faintest trace of a smile. It was the best I could do.

I took Bella by the hand and led her in the direction of the garage. I opened the passenger side door for her and she quickly slid in. She just stared ahead unseeingly. After opening the garage door, we took off down the twisting driveway. After a few minutes, Bella spoke.

"Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"Do you really think that Demetri will find her? I mean, what is his track record?"

"I absolutely believe that he will find her. He's a member of the Volturi. They do not accept failure. I promise you he will find her."

She nodded, but then broke down sobbing again crossing her arms in front of herself to symbolically keep from falling apart.

"She must be so scared! She's all alone with that beast! She must think that we've failed her and aren't coming! Nessie is a tough little thing, but how is she ever going to recover from this?"

I pulled the car over to the side of the road and pulled Bella into my arms.

"I cannot even begin to think what must be going through her head right now. But, no matter what, our daughter knows that we love her. Deep down, she knows we are doing everything we can to find her and bring her home. You are the most wonderful mother in the world and you've made sure that she knows she is loved."

"She has the best father in the world too."

"If you say so."

"I know so. When we get her back, I'm not letting her go. I never want her to feel anything, but safe and secure ever again."

I pulled back from Bella's embrace. "Love, I hate to say this, I hate to even consider this, but once we get her back, I think we should leave Forks."

I expected to see a look of denial on Bella's face, but instead she nodded her head.

"I was thinking the same thing. I don't feel safe here anymore. Actually, the only place I feel safe is at Charlie's house. Can we go there now?"

"You only need to ask. Your wish is my command."

"Thank you."

I started the car and began to head in the opposite direction towards Charlie's house. Once we reached the sleepy, tree-lined street, I pulled up to the curb. Sue's car was parked outside. Sue, Leah and Seth were staying with Charlie temporarily. We all thought that would be best instead of them being in the crossfire. Bella quickly exited the car and waited for me. She took my hand and together we walked up to the front door. Bella rang the bell. After a moment, we could hear Charlie lumbering his way to open the door.

"Hey kids! What a nice surprise! Did something happen? Is there anything new?"

Bella threw her arms around her father. "No, Dad. Sadly, there is nothing new, but we may have another resource that could hopefully bring her back soon."

She pulled back and he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Baby, we'll find her. Don't you worry! Now, c'mon in. Sue is just finishing up dinner."

Bella made her way inside and Charlie greeted me with a pat on the back followed by a hug. That was new.

"How are you holding up, Edward?"

"Fine, it's Bella that I'm worried about. We'll get Nessie back, but Bella is going to pieces." He nodded and ushered me inside.

Inside, Seth was on the couch watching a game presumably with Charlie. He jumped up and hugged me. Leah was out apparently. It was nice to see the Swan house come to life. I had been so worried that Charlie would be all alone without Bella.

"Bella, you have a key, so why did you ring the doorbell?"

"Dad, I don't live here anymore. I don't want to intrude."

"You're my daughter. You're not an intrusion. And Edward, you have a key too, don't you?"

I nodded. Much to my surprise and disbelief, Charlie had presented me with a key saying I was welcome anytime and not to be a stranger. He wanted me to feel at home. I looked around the living room and did feel at home. I had been added to Charlie's home. Our wedding picture was now prominently displayed on the mantel as well as numerous pictures of Nessie. I did feel like a legitimate member of the Swan family now.

Bella had gone into the kitchen to help Sue who had shouted out a hello to me. Dinner was at a crucial stage and she couldn't leave it. I settled on the couch next to Charlie to watch the game. Seth had gone upstairs to do some homework. He could no longer go the school on the reservation and had enrolled at Forks High School.

"So Edward…"

"Yes, Charlie?"

"I have to know and maybe now isn't the right time to ask, but after everything that's happened…once you get Nessie back, will you be taking her away from here? I mean, after this, you must really hate Forks, right?" There was so much pain in his voice as the prospect of losing his only family.

"Quite the opposite. There is no place on earth that has brought me as much happiness as Forks has."

"Even after all this?" he asked incredulously.

"My wife and daughter were both born in Forks. This town brought me the great love of my life. It will always be the place I consider home, but, yes, after everything that's happened, there is the distinct possibility that we may need to leave. Nessie was taken from our home and on the way over here, Bella was telling me how she no longer feels safe here. We'll most likely leave, but we won't go far. After all, what kind of father would I be if I separated you from your daughter and granddaughter?"

Charlie let out a snarky half-laugh.

"And how is Billy doing? Wait, don't tell me. As the Chief of Police, it's probably better if I don't know."

"Well, he's safe. For now at least. I'm not going to kill him if that's what you're getting at. I could never face my daughter. I wouldn't want her to think her father was some crazed cold-blooded killer."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bella in the kitchen crying while Sue comforted her.

"I don't know how or when yet, but Jacob and the rest of the wolves will pay for this."

_**Thank you again for your overwhelming response to the last chapter. I am floored and thankful by all of your reviews. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it!**_

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	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

**DEMETRI POV**

So after all these years, I was just a trained monkey to him. A show pony he parades around as if I were an extension of his own great power. I always tended to his whims like some sort of indentured servant. I had been around almost as long as Aro, but he was just slightly older and therefore flaunted his authority. I, the underling, had to stand off to the side in his shadow. Marcus and Caius did not mind, but I did. Even in the best of times, Aro never treated me like anything, but an errand boy.

But these were no longer the best of times.

Oh yes, there was trouble for the Volturi. Word had spread through our world about the humiliation they suffered at the hands of Carlisle Cullen's coven. I suspected it was the Romanians, Stefan and Vladimir, who quietly whispered in the ear of anyone who would listen about the invincible Volturi being handed a defeat by a vampire-human hybrid child. The others did not even concern themselves with the prospect of a hybrid existing. They all wanted to hear more about the Volturi backing down from a coven. A large coven by regular standards, but surely no match for the Volturi and their guard. And a "vegetarian" coven at that.

Fear is a powerful tool when it comes to controlling others. The Volturi had been merciless in the past with keeping the inhabitants of our parallel world in line with our "beliefs," but this was the first time cracks had shown. They no longer wielded fear like a spear to thwart those who threatened our way of life. More importantly, _their_ way of life.

And I was loving it! I could survive on my own, but as a close observer from the inside, I wondered if our three fearless leaders would fare so well. They had become lazy. They had become "fat." It had been a long time since they were anything but royalty. Now the rumors were rampant about the Volturi showing weakness. And about their enemies growing. Many in our world did not think much of the Cullens' way of life, but they were completely floored by the way they stood up to the Volturi. They had for the Cullens what they no longer had for the Volturi: respect.

They could sit in their ivory tower, but even Aro, Caius and Marcus had heard the musings of other vampires that perhaps now was the time for them to be dethroned. Even those three were not immune to insecurity.

Hence my latest chore. In order to prove to their detractors that the Volturi was as strong and respected as ever, Aro pledged to help Carlisle Cullen himself to help recover his missing granddaughter. He would use this opportunity to show the world that the Cullens respected the Volturi and kneeled down to their awesome power. The Volturi "were on the side of the people!" They would try to save face by disseminating their version of the truth.

To me, it made Aro look like Carlisle Cullen's impotent little bitch.

And by extension (I loathe that word), so am I. So I find myself ensconced inside of our private plane on a trajectory to a private airstrip outside of Seattle.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will begin our final descent in ten minutes. Please take your seats."

Stupid pilot. He has no idea who he is working for. Humans. Give them piles of money and they turn a blind eye instead of looking closer.

Twenty minutes later, a limousine with darkened windows travels along the back roads of Washington State bringing me and my own guard to Forks. Soon we were making our way up the long Cullen driveway. The white house revealed itself to me like some clandestine lair. The perfect place to raise a vampire family.

My driver parked my car in front of the house. By that time, the entire family was convened on the porch to welcome me. My guards and I exited the car to be greeted by Carlisle and Esme Cullen. They approached me and he extended his hand. I took it and shook the hand of the man whose presence rattled vampire royalty.

"Demetri, welcome back to Forks. We are so grateful and honored that you could come on such short notice." He motioned to the enchantress by his side. "You remember my wife, Esme."

How could I forget? She was a timeless beauty. Her eyes so full of warmth and goodwill. She went to shake my hand, but instead I took it and turned it over placing a gentle kiss on top.

"Esme…yes, how could I forget?" I looked deeply into her golden eyes and was lost. Never before had such eyes and what they represented been so beautiful. Her caramel-kissed hair cascaded in gentle waves down her shoulders. I longed to run my fingers through it. If I were the lucky man to have her, I would not keep her hidden away in a tiny, rainy town. She and I would criss-cross our way through the great cities of Europe. I would dress her in the finest clothes, decorate every inch of her with jewels...I would-

"And, of course, you remember my children…"

Oh, "that man" was speaking again. As difficult as it was, I tore away my eyes from the goddess before me and attempted to concentrate on the task at hand. I was re-introduced to Emmett (dumb as a post), Rosalie (she tries too hard to be sexy), Jasper (just try and get something past me, soldier boy) and Alice (short).

Finally, the saddest and most desperate looking couple stepped forward. The family within the family, Edward and Bella Cullen. It was their daughter that I was sent here to find. The young father stepped forward.

"Demetri…I cannot thank you enough for coming out here to help us. My wife and I are most grateful for your assistance."

Bella reached out to shake my hand. I obliged and she took my hand in both of hers holding on tight. She looked at me with a deep intensity trying to contain her emotions.

"Thank you, Demetri. We are so blessed that you have been sent to us."

Something is very wrong with this young woman and it goes beyond a missing daughter.

"Of course, I will do what I can." Edward was staring at me and then pulled his wife closer to him as though he was protecting her from me. Ah, this is the young one that reads minds. He had heard everything. Well, I wasn't here to hold his hand, I was here to work and it didn't bother me if he knew my true feelings. I was doing him a favor.

I was led into the house and my guard followed close behind not trusting the Cullens. Carlisle was once again at my side. I would have preferred Esme. The light that was coming through the windows outlined her silhouette. It was hard to concentrate when such perfection competed for my attention. Every inch of her was exquisite. I noticed that Edward had averted his eyes. Yes, he would not like hearing these types of thoughts about his "mother." This Bella was attractive to be sure, but plain and simple next to her mother-in-law. Edward had obviously married the wrong woman. The boy flinched. Well, it's not my fault if he can't handle the truth.

No doubt trying to get the image of me taking his mother on top of the piano that was in the living room out of his head, Edward changed direction and led me up the stairs to a bedroom on the third floor.

"This is my old room and it has pretty much been turned into a playroom for my daughter, Nessie. She spent-"

"Spends!" Bella interjected with a wounded look on her pretty face. Edward took her hand and brought it to his absent heart. He looked deeply into her searching eyes.

"Spends a lot of time here." The young mother relaxed her tense stance.

The walls and draperies were gold and seemed very adult-like, but there were various toys scattered throughout. A child-sized table and chairs. A dollhouse. An easel. A tea set. A king sized bed? It was just me, Edward and Bella in the room. Two of my guards were standing outside. I walked the perimeter of the room trying to latch on to the young girl's essence.

"You also have your own home, correct?" Edward tore his eyes away from his wife.

"Yes, we do."

"Where do you spend the most time with your daughter?"

"I suppose here. The other house is mostly for her to sleep. We tend to spend most of our time here with our family, but I can take you to our cottage if that will help."

I moved to the center of the room, took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"No, this will suffice."

And with that, I got to work. I absorbed the essence of his daughter that was contained in this room and clung to its walls. Her energy connected with mine and then, with my eyes still closed, my mind took off on its pursuit. My energy force left my body, left the house and started off in all directions until the life force of the little girl's led me on the right path. From the green-tinged atmosphere of Washington, through the Redwood forests of Northern California, through the deserts of Nevada into the cactus-dotted landscape of Arizona. Then she stopped, but this was not her final destination. Far from it.

"Where are you Nessie? Don't hide from me, please."

The coy girl's spirit led me from Arizona through New Mexico and the north of Texas. Soon, the land all became similar and flat. Mostly farmland and plains. There were no distinguishing characteristics. I paid attention to any street signs I could find. It was difficult to stay focused but I followed Nessie's pull.

Eventually, she led me to a grouping of houses. Some sort of fenced off land development. Brightly colored blankets, turquoise and totem poles. An Indian reservation. Not enough to identify it though.

"My maps!" I called out to my guards. I still had my eyes closed keeping my connection to the little one. I could hear the turning of pages as my atlas was held out to me.

"Where?"

"A map of the United States. They are still in the country."

A second later, I felt the glossy paper being held up to my outstretched hand and pointed finger. I put my finger on the page and waited for Nessie to take me in a direction. Quickly, I moved as her spirit instructed my mind. Finally, my finger stopped and I identified the coordinates as they made sense to me. I memorized them and broke my connection to Nessie. Over the years, I had developed a location system that only I could understand. It was the only way to ensure job security with the Volturi.

I opened my eyes. "I'm done. We're off."

Ever so quickly, I left the room with the guard following me. I was down the stairs with Edward and Bella running behind me. Just as I was about to open the front door, Edward grabbed onto my arm. That boy was fast.

"Where is she? Please! You must tell us!" He pleaded.

I looked him over, unwilling to share the secrets of the inner workings of my mind. Apparently, his Isabella was not the only one to confound him today. I had my ways of working and I certainly wasn't going to explain them to him.

"You'll know when I return. Now, if you want your daughter back, you will let go of me so I can be on my way." He continued to hold on, his eyes boring into me. Finally, he let go.

"Please hurry. Please bring us back our child." He choked out the words. Edward's wife took his hand and held it tightly trying to comfort him.

"As you wish." I turned, opened the door and made my way to the limo. If this is what having a child does to people, reducing them to simpering bleeding hearts, then I'm glad I never had any. I wasn't missing out.

Two hours later, we were back at the plane. It had been refueled and was ready for takeoff. I went to take my place in my favorite chair. However, it was already occupied. _By Aro. _

"Ah, there you are, Demetri!"

"Aro, what are you doing here?" I know the bastard got some sick pleasure out of seeing the surprise on my face despite my measured tone.

"After you left Volterra, I decided that I must be with you when the joyful reunion occurs! You know how I simply _adore_ a happy ending!"

"Of course." I settled in the seat next to him and stared straight ahead. I knew where this was headed. My triumph was about to become his triumph.

"So where are we going now?"

I sighed. "South Dakota."

_**A/N: I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sticking with this story with each new chapter. I am overwhelmed by your reviews and am so very lucky to have such enthusiastic readers. Thank you for making my first fic experience such a positive one. **_


	16. Chapter 16

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**_

**JACOB POV**

"Uh…Jake? Is she okay? She seems kind of out of it."

I let out a huge sigh and continued to rub my temples. If this was what having kids was like, then Nessie would have to be the one to take care of our kids. I just didn't have the patience to put up with this shit.

"Yeah, she's fine. She's just being stubborn is all."

We were all watching the Mariners game in the living room. Quil and Paul were sprawled out on the floor while I sat on the sofa. Nessie was on the couch trying to keep her eyes open. Embry sat in the easy chair closest to the TV and swiveled around during the commercial break to look at her.

"I don't know, Jake. She looks kinda…dead."

Couldn't he just shut up? Man, he was annoying the crap out of me.

"Embry, she refuses to eat until I give her some blood to drink. It ain't gonna happen. She needs to learn how to act like a human being. Nessie is going to be living in the human world with me. She has to learn that drinking blood is unnatural and disgusting. I'm not giving her blood to drink and that is final."

"But she's half vamp. I mean, it's not like she can help it."

"Yeah and she's half human too! She needs to choose to be human! That is what choosing me means! Now, enough! It's bad enough I gotta listen to her complaints and begging!"

"Jake, I'm just saying."

"AND I HEARD YA! Now shut your frickin' pie-hole and let _me_ worry about Nessie!"

Embry muttered something under his breath and then turned back to the TV. You would think that by now these morons would understand that I am the alpha and they just need to shut up and listen to me. I love these guys like my brothers, but I wouldn't dare tell them how to handle their imprint. Why do they feel that it's okay to tell me?

Nessie had been on this hunger strike kick for the last few days. She refused to eat anything until she got some blood. She hasn't had any blood since the day we left Forks and I don't even know if she had had any that day. It had been a long while since she had been hunting. Truth be told, the kid did not look good. She had dark purple bruises under her eyes. She reminded me of Edward and the rest of the Cullens for the first time. She was lethargic and didn't do much besides sleeping on the couch or sleeping in the bedroom. If she ate normal human food on a regular basis, she would be fine. I was just trying to wean her off of the blood. It was a case of mind over matter. Just embrace the human side and deny her baser instincts. However, the Cullens had spoiled her by allowing her to gorge herself on blood and I was quickly finding that Nessie took after her mother in the stubbornness department. She wouldn't budge and cried about having blood. After awhile, she stopped crying and would stare into nothingness for hours on end. She never seemed so unlike the little girl I had known. She had the same ancient grief on her face that I had seen on Edward's face. Cut off from the world and seemingly isolated in her own mind.

It was time to cut and dye her hair again. It was growing like weeds and starting to look like it too. I got up from the couch and announced to Nessie that it was time. She wasn't moving.

"Nessie, c'mon sweetheart. Your hair is really looking bad. We need to fix it."

Still nothing. I sighed. This whole experience was really wearing on me. If she thought this type of behavior would fly when we were married, she was in for a rude awakening. I am the Alpha and my power knows no bounds in our world. Her reign as the spoiled vampire princess was over. I didn't know how else to make her understand this.

Finally, I just picked her up and brought her into the bathroom. I put the toilet seat and cover down and sat her there. I opened the drawer and rummaged around until I found the scissors. She just stared at the floor. Nessie was so lifeless that I was kinda nervous that she was going to tip over.

I gently took a stray lock of hair and snipped it away. As I continued, her facial expression did not change, but fat, silent tears rolled down her pale cheeks. It was now time to dye her hair since the bronze roots were showing. I turned back to the sink to mix the formula. Nessie had slid down from where she was sitting and laid down on the bathroom rug. She was barely able to keep her eyes open. I propped her up against the wall and started to apply the dye. She just wouldn't stay upright though.

"Hey Embry! I'm gonna need you to hold her while I put the dye on!" I was going to need to open a window. The dye stunk to high heaven. A few minutes later, Embry still hadn't come to help me.

"Embry! Come on! I need to get this dye on her hair before it congeals!"

I could hear the sportscaster talking about how the Mariners were only a few points behind and they could win the playoffs if they just focused some more. Their confidence had been shaken and they were struggling, but close.

Still no Embry. That pain in the ass knew that he had to jump when I called him. He hadn't imprinted yet so he really didn't understand how important this was. The well-being of the imprint was first and foremost. Especially the imprint of the Alpha. Quil understood this. He was really pissed off though that he had to leave Claire behind to help. Well, I was tired of these idiots slacking off and I would finally make them understand that just because we were off our own rez didn't mean that the same rules didn't apply. I set the bowl of dye down on the counter with a bang and stomped into the living room.

HOLY. FUCKING. SHIT.

There in the middle of the floor were the bodies of my best friends stacked in a neat pile. Their necks had all been broken. I grabbed my stomach and held onto the doorframe for support. It did me no good though as I slid down the length of the wall.

But my friends were not the only dead things in the room. The room reeked of death. _Old_ death. I knew this death as I had encountered it on snowy field in the woods outside of Forks only months earlier.

Now seated on the couch was a pony-tailed freak. Leader of bloodsucking leeches worldwide. He was surrounded by his henchman. There must have been ten of them.

Aro. That was his name. He was the one who had wanted to make Nessie a part of his permanent collection after he offed her family. He smiled at me and looked me over.

"Jacob Black, I presume?"

**ARO POV**

Life is rarely this much fun in Volterra! I really do need to be out in the world more. I feel vibrant, invigorated and my personal favorite…powerful!

Oh, but with great power, comes great responsibility. How heavy the crown is indeed upon my wicked head! I know, I know just how important it is to stay in Volterra and rule from my base of power, but really I think it is a mistake to allow yourself to become a prisoner of your own success. I should be out amongst my people with my ear to the ground. Had I been this proactive in the past, this type of situation could have been avoided completely. We would not have been surprised by the wolves when they pacted with the Cullens. We could have just disposed of the Cullens from the start. We would have found a way around the young Mrs. Cullen's shield. Even better, we would have known exactly how to lure her, Edward and Alice into our own family. Yes, knowledge is power and not to be underestimated or substituted with idle gossip. One does recognize the danger of idle hands.

My idle hands are just being put to work doing some good in the world. And just look at all the good they have done today. Mere moments ago, little Renesmee Cullen was being held hostage by this mangy group of dogs and now she will be free. All because of me! What a sense of accomplishment! What a sense of purpose! I have turned over a new leaf! Idle Aro no more!

Look at the expression on that boy's face! We really did capture them all by surprise. He barely keeps himself upright wallowing in the shock. Not a word. Not a movement. He is overcome by our awesome power. Truthfully, it was just a few flicks of the wrist and these canines were all put to sleep.

Frankly, in the vampire world, my good deed would already be considered done for the day. But the day was far from over.

"I said, Jacob Black I presume."

Still nothing.

"You bore me. I was under the impression that you were a fighter. I see was misinformed."

He started hyperventilating and looking around the room at his comrades.

With his head shaking and lips quivering, he finally spoke. "Why? How could you do this?"

"How? Mr. Black, perhaps you have not been paying attention, but," I couldn't help but chuckle at this imbecile. "It's what we do. And we would not have arrived on your doorstep unless you did something to bring us here. I'm quite sure you are aware of what you did."

"Bella and Edward would NEVER ask for your help! NEVER!"

"Quite the contrary actually. They pleaded with us to help them. They are not stupid. They know where the real power lies. We were more than happy to help one of our own."

"You can't have her! She's mine!"

"Actually, she belongs with her own kind in our world. And we will be taking her back now."

"NO! You are not taking her away from me! I won't allow you to separate us!"

"Oh, young man, don't worry! You have no cause for concern! You are coming with us."

"Fuck no! You're not taking us to Italy!"

"Of course not. We're all taking a trip back to Forks. Won't that be nice? A reunion for you and the Cullens! I know they are all anxious to see you and Renesmee. So let's be on our way now."

"THE HELL I WILL! I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU AND NEITHER IS SHE!"

Doing good deeds was tiresome.

"Very well then. Demetri?"

Ever the faithful servant, Demetri fired several tranquilizers into young Jacob. He was quickly beginning to lose consciousness as my guards wrapped chains around him. One should never go visit a friend without bringing a gift. It's just good manners.

We all walked out to the cars together. The air was absolutely still. Nothing but the whisper of the wind welcomed us.

That's because we had to kill everyone else on the reservation. Every last man, woman and child. Vampires. We are a meticulous bunch when it comes to maintaining our secrets. We did make sure that Jacob saw the consequences that his actions had brought upon the innocent people of this reservation. He looked around as he slowly faded into sleep.

"Yes, Jacob, see what you have done. We had to dispose of all of them because you are a selfish young man. A footnote for your history books…this tribe did not believe in vampires. Yours did not respect our powers. Now look what has happened. Something for you to ponder. Education and self-awareness are two very important matters which I believe to be important. You would do well to remember that."

I'm not sure if it was the tranquilizer or the realization that every action has a consequence, but he completely succumbed to unconsciousness. The guard loaded him into the back of a van.

Now back to important matters. With my guard trailing behind, I returned back inside the house. I had smelled Renesmee when we first entered the dwelling. I quickly found her sprawled out on the tile floor of the back bathroom. At least, I believe it was her. She was wearing the clothing of a young boy and her hair, now black, was cut short with some of Edward's bronze peeking out from the roots.

She was breathing shallow breaths. Her eyes were hooded, but I could see the brown eyes inherited from her mother. Yes, this was definitely Carlisle's grand-daughter. She no longer resembled the bright-eyed little girl I had met several months ago. I brushed her forehead with my fingers. She seemed several degrees cooler than before. She looked ill and deprived of nourishment. It did not look like Renesmee had fed in quite sometime. It pained me to know that one of my own children was starving. The little girl was barely conscious of the fact that I was gently lifting her up off the floor and carrying her to my awaiting car.

Once seated inside cradling Renesmee in my lap, Demetri joined me shutting the door behind him. The driver took off quickly and we all settled in for the ride to the private airport nearby. Demetri studied the face of the girl.

"Is she dying? She is part human after all and may not be able to survive much longer."

I took her palm into my hand and closed my eyes. Ever so quickly, I sifted through her memories. The bastard dog had starved Renesmee. No matter what I thought of her family, she was a vampire and therefore one of my own.

"She'll be fine once we get her onto the plane and can feed her. Call ahead and have the staff ready several packets of blood for her. Poor child."

"You've really taken a shine to the little one."

"I do not turn my back on family."

Every single vampire on this earth was part of my family. Sometimes children misbehaved, but I would still be there for them. I vowed from here on out that I would help my children listening to their concerns and rooting out the evils that threatened our way of life.

I was taking responsibility. It felt good.

I was learning to love myself once more.

_**I thank each and every one of you who takes the time to read my story. I have received some of the most wonderful messages and reviews about this story and I cannot even begin to thank you. If you have a moment, please review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**_


	17. Chapter 17

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi Everyone,

I truly hate author notes as chapters, but based on some of the messages that I have been receiving, I thought it was important that I clarify a few points.

Aro is not good, but in fact pure evil. In the context of this story, he will NEVER be good. When he says, "I am learning to love myself once more," he means that he is rediscovering his evil self again. He usually stays in Volterra, but this little jaunt to save Nessie puts him back in the "field" so to speak. He only saves Nessie because word has gotten around that the Volturi are going against vampires for no other reason than to hoard power. He is not doing this for altruistic reasons. He needs to prove that he is on the side of the vampires so there will not be an uprising against the Volturi.

Jake and the rest of them fled La Push and then Arizona to take Nessie to another reservation in South Dakota. THAT is the reservation that has been decimated by the Volturi and the guard. So, no, Seth and Leah are not among the dead. Because of Jake's selfish actions, the innocent people of the South Dakota reservation have been murdered.

I hope that clears everything up and thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

PenName76


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: I just wanted to apologize for this taking so long. I had a bad case of writer's block. This is the last chapter and I just wanted to say how sincerely thankful of all the support and encouragement I have received during the writing of this story. It has been such an awesome experience and I am truly humbled that people would care enough about it to contact me asking me about updates.**_

_**I am plotting out my next story and hopefully will get that up in the near future. I had never intended Missing Daddy to go on for so long so I am taking my time with the new story and focusing on things like structure, continuity and time lines. Ya know, just the minor details! : P**_

**BELLA POV**

It had been close to twenty-four hours since Demetri left. We had no way of contacting him. The Volturi didn't like to give out their cell phone numbers. Imagine that.

I took comfort in the fact that Demetri had connected with Nessie's essence or spirit or whatever it was. Had she been dead, he would not have found any sort of link. Should I be grateful to Jake because he kept her alive? No. Never. I knew she was at least physically alive, but what about mentally?

My poor little girl. I was once told that God only gives you as much as you can handle. Nothing is insurmountable unless you yourself say it is. Nessie was wise beyond her years, but still a child. How can a person exist for just a year and have such crosses to bear? How will I explain all of this to her?

Will she think we abandoned her because it took so long to rescue her? Will she be able to trust us? Trust anyone? Will she ever get the chance to be a child? So many questions and we have to put our faith in the Volturi to have a chance to discover the answers.

I wonder how Nessie will view the world from now on. Up until now, she has only seen that beyond one's own family, there is only evil out there. The Cullens and the Swans are the only ones she can trust. She never goes out in Forks so she knows of no others. The wolves have proven to be untrustworthy.

How could I expect a young child to handle so much? It was the first time that I questioned if bringing Nessie into this horrible world had been the right thing to do. When I think back to all of the things she's had to deal with since she came into existence…I'm absolutely speechless. How could I have been so stupid and naïve? How could I have done this to such an innocent little thing who was so defenseless against those who would want to take her?

My love for my daughter is paramount, but maybe I had been just a bit selfish. I wanted it all. The husband. The child. The happy ending. Maybe this was the universe telling me that I got greedy. I had been given my happiness with Edward. And Edward. Look at what I put him through and continued to put him through. I was indeed so very selfish.

We were in Edward's old room- Nessie's playroom. I sat back on the bed, my head resting against the pillows propped up by the headboard. As I sat there, I watched Edward standing in the middle of the room with his hands in his pockets. He was staring at all of Nessie's toys. Finally, he picked one of her dolls up off the shelf.

The doll was one that Carlisle of all people had ordered online. He found a company that designed dolls exactly to your specifications. So Carlisle had ordered an auburn-haired doll with brown eyes that resembled his grand-daughter exactly. Carlisle and Esme had Nessie with them one day while out shopping in Seattle. Inevitably, they stopped at a toy store. Nessie went directly over to the dolls. Carlisle, having never spent much time with children, was absolutely horrified by what passes as suitable for young girls. The dolls all looked like prostitutes. Esme recounted later that Carlisle scooped Nessie up and stormed out of the store muttering something about how society had begun its final descent into hell. He didn't want her to give up her speeding childhood by growing up so fast. Two weeks later, he presented an excited Nessie with a doll in her likeness that was dressed appropriately.

The memory faded as I watched Edward looking at the doll and smoothing her hair. He was my rock. He kept it together so I could fall apart if I needed to. I tried to stay strong, but this was _my_ child missing. I sometimes forget that she's his child too. The cracks were finally starting to show as the strain grew. Edward was most definitely missing his little girl.

We were both roused from our silent thoughts by the sound of cars making their way up the Cullen driveway. Faster than I had ever seen him move, Edward grabbed my hand and flew with me down the stairs. We burst out through the front door and watched as several limos snaked their way to the mansion. The others quickly joined us.

The limos stopped and the front passenger side door of the first one opened. A valet moved with a sense of ceremony to open the doors in the rear of the limo. First Demetri emerged. He was followed by Aro who was cradling my darling daughter in his arms! I grabbed onto Edward's arm so that I could stay upright. It was understood that we were not to approach Aro, but that Aro would come to us. Nessie looked so lifeless in his arms. Her eyes were opened slightly and she seemed quite disoriented. What exactly had Jake put her through? What kind of horrors had she seen? Edward stiffened beside me as Aro approached.

"Edward, Bella…your daughter as promised."

Aro handed Nessie over to Edward's waiting arms. Edward hugged her and me to his chest.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Her voice was barely a whisper. I kissed her face and stroked her hair, but I almost didn't recognize my own daughter. She was dressed in overalls and some sort of sports jersey. Her beautiful bronze curls had been sliced off. It was oddly jet black with auburn roots. But she was still my Nessie. My Renesmee.

"Yes darling, you're home at last!" Edward passed her to me and I held her as tightly as possible. Edward kissed Nessie on the cheek and then proceeded to stroke her hair. Now that our family had been reunited, Edward took on the role of protector with a heart poisoned by vengeance. His face became stoic and determined.

"What happened to her?" He questioned Aro.

"She has been deprived of blood. The wolf has been starving her to teach her a lesson apparently. We gave her some blood on the plane, but the damage has been done and it will take time before she becomes herself again. Believe me when I say she is doing much better than when I found her."

I noticed Demetri's eyes tighten. Edward's head snapped up and I could tell he was reading Aro's mind, mining it for every detail of Nessie's ordeal. Each breath he took became deeper and deeper as if he was trying to hold back torrents of rage.

"Where is he?"

Aro motioned to his guards who moved to unload a groggy werewolf from the trunk of the limo. Edward's eyes fixed upon Jake with laser-like focus. They threw him on the ground where Jake moved to his knees.

"Bella, bring Nessie inside. Emmett, bring Billy out." Edward hissed through gritted teeth.

"No! I want to be here for this." I protested. Alice flitted over to us.

"Here, I'll take her. I'm getting a headache anyway." I gratefully placed my daughter in her aunt's arms.

"Auntie Alice, look what he did to my hair!"

"Oh angel, don't worry! We'll stick a beret on your head and you can be Coco Chanel for Halloween."

Alice disappeared with Nessie into the house just as Emmett was bringing Billy through the door. Billy became animated once he saw his son.

"Jake!"

"Shut up!" Jasper didn't need to use his power to instill fear into Billy. Billy now knew exactly what Jasper was capable of.

Aro took this as his cue to leave.

"Well, this has been quite the experience. It is now our time to leave you all to attend to these pressing matters. Don't be strangers. Please bring Renesmee to Italy sometime. She should know the history of her family."

I just nodded while Edward and Carlisle strode over to Aro to shake his hand.

"Thank you again for your assistance. My wife and I are most grateful."

"Indeed." Aro smiled and then turned to Carlisle. All pretenses of renewed friendship fell away. He leaned in and whispered, "We're even now."

An equally serious Carlisle just nodded. Aro and his guard piled into their cars and took off down the driveway.

And so Jake kneeled before us at our mercy. I wasn't sure how Edward wanted to handle things, but my first instinct was to beat him into oblivion. Edward's eyes never left Jake's face as he slowly circled him. Finally, Edward spoke.

"You son of a bitch."

I rarely, if ever, heard Edward swear. Not even when we had our appendages ripped off the night of Nessie's kidnapping. Jake looked at him defiantly.

"What now? Seriously, you're never gonna let me see her again, so what other way do you possibly think you can hurt me? You've already done enough damage!"

"You really don't get it, do you? You really are so thick and so completely delusional that you cannot comprehend the utter scope of your destruction. All in the name of greedy infatuation and entitlement!"

"Listen, bloodsucker, you've won alright? You've won! You have Bella! You have Nessie! You have your money! You win! There's nothing more you could say that will drive that point home more than those facts already have! This is just about you now having to get the last word like always!"

Disbelief rocked Edward's body.

"You think my anger is because of some deep rooted need to have the last word? When have I ever had the last word when it comes to you, Jacob? Over and over again, I've had to stand by to accommodate you!"

"Oh please…"

"You were the one who first broke the treaty! Did we attack you? No! Yet, I stood by when Bella wanted you in her life even though I knew you were dangerous. I had to accept it! We've never broken one rule and yet you and your tribe continually treat us like criminals! It went against everything in me to accept your so-called 'imprinting' but I did! You've been there every step of the way to taint any happiness that Bella and I have! Tell me again how I always have the last word!"

Technically, I knew that Edward was not going to burst any blood vessels, but I had never seen him angry like this before. His long dormant veins were popping out from under his skin.

Jake just laughed.

"FUCK…YOU…EDWARD…CULLEN!"

And with that, Edward backhanded him into a tree on the other side of the driveway. And as Edward had once promised, Jake's jaw was now broken. He was spitting blood everywhere.

"That's enough you bastard!" Billy yelled out as though he had a semblance of control over my husband.

"You!" I seethed. "You could have stopped this! You let an innocent child be stolen from her family because of your spoiled _bastard_ son! You even allowed my father to be terrorized and almost killed! So much for a lifetime of friendship. You act as though my family is the scum of the earth, but you just go about breaking every human law possible to get what you want! If anything, you and your tribe are far more removed from humanity than any of my family here. You're disgusting!"

Emmett and Jasper had to restrain me as I tried to lunge for Billy. Billy smirked at me as I fought to break free. I wanted so desperately to hurt him.

"Oh, Mr. Black, I wouldn't be so sure of your safety just yet." Said Edward ever so quietly. "And I'm not even talking about what is about to happen here, today, right now with us. I'm talking about you having to go back to your reservation and tell the other Quileute families that you sent their children to their deaths."

Billy eyed Edward suspiciously. "What are you talking about, boy?"

"Haven't you noticed? I suppose you wouldn't show your concern for others, only yourself. Your darling son Jacob is the only Quileute who was returned. Aren't you even remotely curious about the rest of them?"

"Jake?" Billy looked past Edward to his son seeking answers.

"I really don't think that your son is able to open his mouth right now so I'll be his interpreter. The rest of Jacob's friends were, in fact, murdered by the vampires who returned my daughter to me. Just like that. Just because you believed that you owned another person. Did you really think that Jacob could take someone's child, _my child_, and everyone would walk away unscathed?"

"No…"Billy shook his head in denial.

"But yes. Oh yes. Now you will have to go back to La Push and explain how their sons have all been killed. But I'm sure they will comforted by the fact that their children died in vain. Now if you'll excuse me, I must finish my conversation with Jacob."

Billy started to hyperventilate. I'm sure Carlisle could have done something to help him, but he didn't. No doctor's oath could claim Carlisle's benevolence today. He had taken a more important oath to his own family.

Edward walked back over to where Jake was slumped against the tree.

"Now, I was planning on killing you, but I don't think that punishment would fit the crime. Rosalie?"

Rosalie darted to Edward's side.

"It's getting awfully chilly out here. Do you think you could start a fire?"

Rosalie's lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"Absolutely, Edward. The temperature has dropped quite a bit. It shouldn't take me long at all to get a fire going."

"Thank you." And off Rosalie went returning with a metal drum, some lighter fluid and some wood. Soon, a fire raged in the drum. Edward walked closer to Jacob and then kneeled next to him.

"You know, Jacob, I still have not forgotten about the night you took Nessie from us. You ran off into the night with her and left your friends, you know the ones you led to their deaths, behind to rip the limbs off of me and my wife. If there's one thing which is as bad as seeing my daughter suffer, it is seeing my wife suffer. No parent should ever have to go through that torment of having their child torn from them. You're not a parent so you couldn't possibly understand what it's like not to be able to hold your child."

Edward leaned closer to Jacob and whispered, "And now you never will. In the future, should some stupid woman take pity on you and decide to bear your children, you will never have any idea what it is like to feel your child's heart so close to your own. And this is also to prevent you from snatching someone else's child away from them."

Edward jumped back up onto his feet.

"Now since you can't speak and I'm sure are dying to know what fate holds for you, I'll clue you in. I just hope you have good balance. You'll need it because you won't have your arms to steady you. Now I know what you're thinking…werewolves heal right away so it will be easy to re-attach them. Hmmmm, not in your case. See, I think you should be reminded everyday of the crime you committed, of the friends you essentially murdered and of the complete decimation of a whole reservation all for self-serving purposes. So in order to help you to never forget, I thought I would take the liberty of ripping your arms off and torching them so they can never be re-attached. Sounds fair to me. Now since I want to get back to my daughter and do what I can to heal her, let's get this over with shall we?"

Esme turned and made her way into the house unable to watch. I stood my ground wanting to see the jackass suffer for what he did. Hearing the news of the destruction of the reservation of innocent people made me even more disgusted for this creature that superficially resembled a human being.

Edward walked up to Jacob and, one by one, ripped both of his arms off. A second later, both limbs were thrown into the fire causing the most acrid odor imaginable to permeate the air. Jake was screaming, but they were muffled due to his broken jaw and he was sputtering blood. Carlisle walked over to Jacob with his medical bag and inspected Jake's arm sockets. They had already started to heal.

Carlisle motioned for Emmett and Jasper. He quickly instructed them to drop both Jake and Billy at the La Push reservation. Rosalie had already managed to muffle Billy's screams by sticking a piece of fabric in Billy's mouth. Edward and I watched as the two were loaded into Emmett's jeep and driven away.

Edward quickly wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my ear.

"Love, I'm sorry you had to see that."

"I'm not. I never thought that I would be the type of person to advocate that type of punishment, but I suppose it was because I never had a child before."

"Come on, let's go inside and see Nessie."

He led me inside and we found her, Esme and Alice in the kitchen. Alice had bathed Nessie and dressed her in some new pajamas. She had coaxed Nessie's hair into short pigtails. She was already starting to look like herself again. She was sitting on Esme's lap with a sippy cup of blood in her hands. A plate of cookies was sitting on the table in front of her. She seemed a little more vibrant and was telling her grandmother and aunt a bit about what happened to her.

"And I yelled at him when he cut my hair because I was sad. I told him I took after my Aunt Rose with my curls and he said that she's not really my aunt. But I know she is! She is!"

"Of course she is, darling." Said Esme as she smoothed Nessie's bangs and brushed away the tears that had started to fall. "Look who's here, sweetheart!"

"Mommy!" My baby was sobbing as I took her into my arms.

"By the way guys, I just called Charlie to tell him she's back and he's on his way over." What would we do without Alice?

"Thanks, Alice." Said Edward as he wrapped his arms around us. Nessie moved to go into her father's arms. She threw her own arms around his neck and held on for dear life.

"My angel, we love you so much and we're so sorry that this happened to you. We promise that nothing like this will ever happen again."

"I missed you, Daddy."

THE END

_**Thank you for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed it! If you have a moment, please review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**_


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